A Chink In The Armor
by Darkryt Orbinautz
Summary: Twilight's getting married, and just like he did to her at his wedding, Shining's been invited!...and just like she did at his wedding, he has a problem with the bride. Has she been replaced by Chrysalis? Oh, he wishes it was something that simple...As of 7/16/12 Retroactively part of the Countdown to Componydum.
1. The Announcement

**Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.**

**By Darkryt Orbinautz:**

**A Chink In The Armor  
**

**Chapter 1  
**

**The Announcement  
**

* * *

Somewhere far far away from the prestigious city of Canterlot, away though train tracks and deserts roads, A hushed conversation ensued in some supremely dark place, somewhere hidden in plain sight. The perfect hiding spot for anything, be it conversations or ancient relics.

"Oh you...you always know to make me smile."

"That's what I do, Silly Filly!"

"You...you ready to tell them?"

"Them who what?"

"I...think it's time."

"Time for what?"

"..."

"OH...my...Celestia...it's so small...and pink! It's...it's perfect. Where do you get it?"

"It had to be perfect. It had to be _absolutely perfect_. I knew no jewelry store in Equestria would have something that like it...so I made it myself...will you-"

"YES! YES I WILL!"

* * *

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or just 'Cadence' was busy painting the new house of hers and her newlywed husband, Shining Armor, captain of the Royal Canterlot Guard when Shining burst through the door, causing her to jump and fall of the ladder she was using, the bucket of paint landing on her head, soaking all pink feathers blue.

"Cadence! Cadence, I have great news!" Shining Armor yelled, bouncing up and down.

Cadence lifted the bucket up over her head to look at her husband's face. "What? What is it?"

"Well...you remember when you and I got married and we invited my sister and she helped us save Equestria from the Changling Queen?"

"How could I forget?" Cadence asked rhetorically.

"Well, we're gonna do that again, except with out the part where the Queen nearly took over Equestria!"

Cadence raised an eyebrow. "We're...going to get married again?"

"Yes!"

There was a moment of silence in the room as Shining contemplated what he just said.

Shining Armor shook his head and back forth. "No! Twilight's getting married!"

"Really?" Cadence put her hooves together. "Aww, my little foal is all grown up! Who's the lucky colt?"

"It's a surprise!" Shining informed her, whipping out a paper. "We've been invited to the unveiling of who it is over at the Ponyville Library!"

"What are we waiting for?" Cadence asked, lifting the bucket up off her head and tossing it aside. "Let's go!"

* * *

After some...after much difficulty, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence arrived in Ponyville.

"I never thought that a conductor would have that much trouble loading a gryphon up an pipeline." Shining noted.

"I never thought I'd see a gryphon be shoved up a pipeline!" Cadence exclaimed.

The two ponies trotted along, stopping by Big Macintosh on their way.

"Oh, hey Big Macintosh!" Shining said, outstretching a hoof for a friendly shake. "Applejack told me all about you!"

Big Macintosh munched on the stalk of hay he kept in his mouth at all times and responded to Shining's invitation. "G'day, Mister and Missus Armor. Ah take it y'all here for the big surprise?"

"That depends..." Cadence replied coyly. "What surprise?"

"Why, the surprise about the mystery identity of Twilight's Very Special Somepony!"

"In that case, yes!" Cadence cheered.

"You wouldn't happen to know who it is, would ya, Big Macintosh?" Shining Armor questioned. "Wait! It's you, isn't it? A big strong stallion for my little frail bookworm of a sister, am I right?"

Big Macintosh chuckled. "Well, ah don't know about that, but Ah can certainly tell it's not me. Ah was on my way to Canterlot to meet some cousins for some apples. Twilight's offered me to cater, since Applejack did that at your wedding."

Shining Armor nodded, and let Big Macintosh through to the train.

Cadence smacked her lips in thought.

"What'cha thinking, about, Cadence?"

"Well...You asking if Big Macintosh was it made me think...what if we found out before Twilight reveals it, but_ acted_ surprise when she did?"

"Yeah!" Shining agreed. "Let's be discreet about it. Wouldn't Twilight knowing we know...now, how many colts in Ponyville do we know of that have met Twilight?"

Candence paused in thought. "...Not many. We'll have to ask colts that we don't know."

Shining shook his head enthusiastically. "Yeah! Let's go!"

So they set about Ponyville, trying to find a good candidate they for who thought would be the mystery groom.

_Try 1_

"I'm sorry." Mr. Cake told them. "You do realize I'm already married, right?"

"...Um, yes." Shining Armor answered embarrassed. "Well...do you know who it is, though?"

"I have a pretty good idea." Mr. Cake replied. He brushed his hoof across his mouth and made '_zwooph'_ sound. "But my lips are sealed."

Shining lowered his head. "Could you give me a hint?"

Mr. Cake shook his head no.

_Try 2_

"I'm sorry?" Doctor Hooves said, banging his funny-looking tool against the side of a payphone for whatever strange reason.

"I said, are you Twilight's Very Special Somepony?" Cadence repeated.

"Oh, I haven't got the time to be sompony's Special Somepony!" Hooves exclaimed in his British accent. "Which is funny, if you think about, since I have got practically all the time in the known universe...and some in the unknown."

"Well..." Cadence said. "Do you know who actually is?"

"I know it's somepony very close to her!" Doctor Hooves teased.

Cadence rolled her eyes. _Of course it's somepony close to her, or she wouldn't be getting married to them!  
_"Well, thank you for time, Mister Hooves."

"No problemo." Hooves assured, picking up the payphone and dialing a number. A horrible screeching noise came out of the phone, and Hooves hung up. "Ah! The TARDIS is back in order!" He watched Cadence go, putting a hoof on his chin thought.

"...I wonder if I should've told her Shining's going to screw everything up?"

_Try 3  
_

"Hey Ace, can I ask you a question?" Shining Armor questioned, trotting into the tennis court.

Ace bounced a tennis ball off of his hoof. "Not unless you serve with me at least once."

Shining shifted his hooves. "Uh...O.K., sure."

Shining Armor just stood there for a moment.

Ace furrowed his eyebrows. "...You don't have any idea what that means, do you?"

"...No."

Ace signed. "Come on. We're gonna teach you tennis."

After several attempts to teach Shining Armor how to play tennis (Which may, or may not have, given both Shining and Ace shiners in their eyes.) They were finally ready to have a match.

"Ready, Shining?" Ace called from his side of the tennis field, slightly muffled from the racket in his mouth.

"As I'll ever be..." Shining muttered, also slightly muffled from the racket in his mouth.

Ace leaped into the air and smacked the ball at Shining.

Shining panicked and used his unicorn magic to set the ball alight and throw it back at Ace. Ace didn't miss a beat and smacked it away into the Whitetail Wood, which caused a forest fire. Over in the distance as thunderclouds suddenly formed over the Whitetail. Rainbow Dash's swearing and cursing of tennis players and their flaming balls were audible all over Ponyville, though it was too distance to make out at some places.

"-If I-" Dash promised.

"Wooow!" Ace 'ooh'ed. "I never hit a ball that started a natural disaster before!"

"-just one time with a wrench in my mouth and a paddle in my tail!" Dash continued.

"So," Ace greeted, walking under the tennis goalpost over to Shining. "What do you want to ask me?"

"If, um...you knew who my sister, Twilight Sparkle, was getting engaged to?"

"Who?"

Shining Armor stared blankly. A black eye, several rounds of tennis practice, and a natural disaster later, he wasn't any closer to finding who Twilight's mystery groom. He trotted away downtrodden.

"Oh!" Ace exclaimed. "She was that crazy unicorn who said Nightmare Moon had quit being evil on Nightmare Night, right?"

Shining signed. "Yes."

_Try 4_

"What...are we thinking?" Cadence questioned as she and Shining hid in the bushes. "Neither of them are Twilight's type! And Even if they were, Snips and Snails are way too young for her!"

Shining scrunched up his face, noting that Snips and Snails had somehow wrapped themselves together as some sort of duct tape mummy. "You're absolutely right."

"Hey guys, what are you up to?" Pinkie Pie questioned, popping the same bush out of nowhere.

"I could ask the same thing!" Shining exclaimed, his heart beating extra fast from Pinkie's sudden appearance.

"Oh, it's Cupcake Day! I'm going around giving everyone a free cupcake! Speaking of which, could you two get down?" The two did as told, Pinkie pulling out a green shotgun with a scope and firing cupcakes from it at Snips and Snails and every one of the foals playing in the playground.

"Thank you, Pinkie Pie!" chorused from the students. They couldn't see Pinkie, but they knew who was responsible for the pastry barrage.

Pinkie cocked her shotgun and fired again. "Somepony take that one to Cheerilee!"

"Can do!" Pipsqueak yelled.

Pinkie laid her Cupcake Shotgun to her side. "So, what are you up to?"

"We're trying to find out who's Twilight's groom!" Shining answered.

Pinkie look concerned. "But didn't she want that to be a surprise?"

"Yeah?"

"So, aren't you betraying her trust by trying to find out before she wants you to?"

Shining Armor and Cadence's eyes both widened, and they both felt guilty. "Oh gee...we didn't think of that. We're sorry, Pinkie. It's a good thing you caught us in time."

"We'll wait like everyone else." Cadence assured.

"Good!" Pinkie cheered. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." Pinkie cocked her shotgun again. "There are more cupcakes to be given away!" and with that, she ran off.

"From Castle Midnight to the Halls of Iacon!" Rainbow Dash continued her tirade, despite the fact that the Whitetail fire had been put out.

* * *

The yellow lights of the tree house library flashed on as the moon finished it's rising.

Shining Armor, Cadence, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Big Macintosh all gathered up around the door. Rarity asked Shining about why he was keeping away from Rainbow Dash, but all he told her was that Ace was good tennis player. Applejack knocked on the library door.

"Come in!" Twilight's voice beckoned. They all entered and took the seats Twilight offered around the dining table. Spike rushed over to Rarity's side to make sure she was comfortable.

"So, I take you know why we're all here." Twilight said. Everyone nodded.

"To know you it is you're marrying!" Rarity exclaimed.

"Um...Twilight?" Fluttershy mumbled.

"Yes, Fluttershy?"

"I...um...I just wanted to check to make sure you thought this through...marriage is an awfully big commitment, and it would be horrible for you to marry somepony you just met..."

"Oh, no need to worry, Fluttershy! We've been in a relationship for a long time now. We just kept it a secret." Twilight assured her, thanking her for her concern.

There was an air of tension as Twilight made sure everypony was seated comfortably.

"Oh, enough with the good hosting, Twilight!" Rarity snapped. "Tell us who it is already! The tension is killing me!"

Twilight giggled. "All right. Spike? Pull the switch!"

This was it. The moment of truth.

Spike went over to the kitchen light switch, and pushed a button that looked it had been recently added on.

A patch of the ceiling opened, and Pinkie Pie plopped down from it and onto the table, causing the silverware to rattle.

"Pinkie!" Applejack scolded. "We're in the middle of something real important, and we ain't got no time for your antics!"

Twilight bit her lips, clearly trying to stifle a huge laughing fit.

Everpony's jaw dropped at their simultaneously realizations.

"_PINKIE IS YOUR GROOM_?" Boomed and echoed through the kitchen.

"Yep!" Twilight answered, dragging Pinkie close to her and nuzzling her on the nose. "She's my little pastry."

Pinkie wrapped her hooves around Twilight. "And Twilight is my own personal star, see?" Pinkie gestured to Twilight's star Cutie Mark.

"Well...congratulations!" Rarity said.

"Ah'll admit, if I wasn't seeing with my own eyes, ah'd never believe it." Big Macintosh admitted.

It was just now everypony noticed the wedding ring on Pinkie's nose. It had pink gem on it that was shaped and sculpted like a white wedding cake's lowest' and biggest level, with a bulbous detailing resembling a king's crown on top.

"You like her ring?" Twilight asked. "I made it myself, because I knew not even Canterlot's gem stores could make one that was just...perfect."

"It's covered in saliva." Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"Oh yeah, it is! I keep forgetting it's not a _real_ cake and trying to eat it." Pinkie explained.

"Shining?" Cadence asked with concern.

Everypony craned their necks to see that, unlike them Shining still had his jaw dropped down.

"My little sister is...is...is a _filly-fooler_!"

On that, Shining fainted and fell out of his chair.

* * *

**Author's notes for 'The Announcement.'**

**There are like, 4 pop references in this chapter.  
**

**You see where this is going, don't you, reader?  
**

**June 16 of 2012: Edit: One of the reviewers (Hypermarc, I think,) said the beginning was 'bit fast' or something like that. I'll try to fix that somehow, sometime. Also, I intended for the time between weddings to be ambiguous. Gives me more artistic leeway, you see.  
**


	2. The Fear

**Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.**

**By Darkryt Orbinautz:**

**A Chink In The Armor  
**

**Chapter 2: The Fear**

* * *

Waking up from his faint, Shining Armor turned his head back and forth. Where was he? After a moment, he managed to conclude he was standing in his sister's library.

"Cadence? Twilight? Somepony?" No one answered Shining Armor's attempt to greet them. Shivering nervously from the eerie silence, Shining decided to go upstairs, hoping Twilight would be there. He knocked on the door.

"Hello? Twilight? Spike?"

Still no answer. Shining cautiously, slowly opened the door. There, in Spike's bed basket, was Twilight Sparkle, resting, with Pinkie Pie on top of her, her pink hooves wrapped around the lavender unicorn. Shining found this disturbing, but it was nothing compared to what was on Twilight's bed.

There, with her wings relaxed and a expression of content, was his wife Cadence...and lying on top of her, parallel to the direction Cadence was facing, was the insect like, horned and winged body of the Changeling Queen Chrysalis.

"Cadence?" Shining asked with fear. "What's going on?"

"Oh! Shining Armor!" Cadence exclaimed, her sudden movement jostling Chrysalis.

"Mmm...is the Captain bothering you, my dear?" Chrysalis asked, stroking her hoof along Cadence's back. "I'd be more then happy to dispose of him..."

Cadence swiveled her head and nuzzled Chrysalis on the nose. "No thank you, Sweetie."

"_Sweetie_?" Shining yelled in shock.

"Oh yes." Cadence replied while Chrysalis cuddled her neck. "After seeing how happy Pinkie and Twilight were, I decided to pursue a girl of my own..."

"But..." Shining stammered. "What about me?"

"Oh, Don't worry, Shining!" Chrysalis told him. "We have somepony for you too."

"What?" Shining turned and backed away at what he saw. "Oh...oh no."

"Eeeyup!" Purred Big Macintosh. Big Macintosh raised his front hooves for Shining's embrace. "Come here, Shiny!"

"No. No." Shining stammered in denial, backing away to keep away from Big Macintosh. "No!" He screamed as Big Macintosh grabbed him and puckered up.

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Shining bolted upright out of the bed he was lying in.

"Good to see y'all awake. Everypony but me and Cadence left when you didn't wake up all night." Big Macintosh said, reading a book on the floor.

"What?" Shining whipped his head around to see he was tucked in Twilight's bed, the afternoon sun beaming through the windows and Big Macintosh on the floor at the bed's side. "Big Macintosh? Can I ask you a request?"

Big Macintosh idly turned a page. "Shewt."

"Never, ever, _ever _call me 'Shiny'."

Big Macintosh chewed on his haystalk, his stoic demeanor unbroken by the randomness of Shining's request. "Eeee-O.K."

Shining sprang out of the bed, completely messing it up. "I need to go save Cadence from Twilight-I mean, Chrysalis!"

Big Macintosh's green eyes rolled to Shining. "Ah think y'all may have been dreaming there, Tennis Champ. Cadence is trotting back and forth downstairs, worried sick about ya."

"Oh thank Celestia!" Shining exclaimed. "For a second there, I thought-" Shining paused and looked at Big Macintosh. "Tennis Champ?"

"Ace and Ah meet up for sodas and apple-tennis emergency practice drills." Big Macintosh explained. Shining Armor might've asked what an 'Apple-tennis' emergency was, but he wasn't in the mood.

* * *

Cadence brushed the books one of Twilight's many shelves with her wing, in spite of the fact that she had done that twice already by now.

"Cadence!" Twilight scolded. "There's no need for that. Spike and I clean up around here."

"Oh no, I insist!" Cadence replied. "You've been such a gracious host, and it would so rude of me not to offer something in return."

"Cadence, really, it's fine. You don't owe me anything, and I'm a big girl now. I can-"

"I CLEAN WHEN I'M UPSET, All RIGHT?" Cadence screamed, her eye twitching manically.

Twilight stared wide-eyed, then blinked as she absorbed Cadence's outburst. "...I think there's a clog in the sink." She offered.

"All right!" Cadence cheered, zipping off into the kitchen.

"Bathroom sink!" Twilight corrected. A pink blur shot past the unicorn into the direction of the bathroom.

Shining appeared, trotting down the stairs. Slowly, but with purpose. "Twilight? Where's Cadence?"

"Shining!" Cadence exclaimed, zipping towards the stairs to lock her husband in a bone crushing death grip hug. "I was so worried! Are you O.K?"

"Yeah." Shining replied, pushing Cadence off. "I just had this weird dream where Twilight told us she was marrying Pinkie, and then you and Chrysalis became a couple...and tried to offer me Big Macintosh as a partner!" Shining chuckled. "Heheh, good thing none of that happened, right?"

Twilight and Cadence exchanged worried glares. "Actually, honey...that first bit where Twilight told us she was marrying Pinkie? That was real."

"WHAT?"

"I said, 'Actually, honey..."

Shining raised his hoof to cut Cadence off. "It was an expression, not a question! Could you give Twilight me some privacy?"

"Of course!" Cadence replied, walking out of the room with a spring in her step.

Shining turned to Twilight after his wife had left. "Twilight..."

"Shining."

"Have you, um...you know, thought about this?"

"Yeah." Twilight replied. "Pinkie and I have been dating two years now."

Shining stammered. "Two- two years? So you were-"

"Dating while at your wedding, yes." Twilight finished his sentence. "We're very good at keeping it out of our business."

"Um, wow." Shining said.

Twilight shook her head and signed. "I should've been expecting this. After the way I acted at your wedding, I shouldn't have expected you to support mine."

"What?" Shining exclaimed. "What are you talking about? You were supporting every step of the way!"

"Even before we knew Cadence been kidnapped and replaced?"

"Hey." Shining said, walking up to his sister to comfort her. "You were perfectly right to act like that. None of us knew she'd been replaced."

Twilight looked at Shining with a glimmer of hope. "So you will support me?"

Shining smiled broadly. Too broadly. He was hiding something.

Twilight blinked her eyes. "Shining...are you a homophobe?"

"NO!" Shining screamed, his mane rustling slightly from the spot-on accusation.

Twilight signed again and pushed Shining off, walking away from him. "I do really want to marry Pinkie. But I also don't want to disappoint you so severely...and even if I didn't want to marry- which I do, mind you- I'd still have to."

"_Have_ to?" Shining questioned. "Why do you _have _to?"

Twilight covered her hoof, realizing she said too much. "No reason!"

"Twilight, you've always been horrible at lying. Tell me the reason."

Twilight hung her head and signed again. "All right...I'll tell you." She walked back towards Shining and whispered something in his ear. Before Shining could even think of a response, Twilight grabbed him roughly by the cheeks with her hooves, her horn glowing alight and her eyes burning with fury.

"_But I won't let you remember!_"

* * *

A white flash came from the living room into the kitchen, startling Cadence. She rushed into it, caring more her husband's and sister-in-law's safety then their privacy.

"Twilight? Shining? Is everything all right?"

"Yeah!" Twilight assured her, her left arm wrapped across Shining's shoulder. "We decided to play ball, y'know, a little sibling sport. We had an accident, but it's fixed now. Right Shining?"

"Right!" Shining agreed with a nod, thinking of no thought to the contrary.

Cadence was too glad they were O.K to see what was wrong with the picture. That 1) There wasn't any ball of any kind in sight and 2) Twilight would never play ball indoors. She was too rule-abiding for that.

"So Twilight, I don't suppose you could let me have my husband back for a minute?" Cadence asked teasingly.

"Sure." Twilight answered, separating herself from Shining Armor.

Shining and Cadence left the library to return to Canterlot and make arrangements, Cadence oblivious to the memory wipe Twilight had performed on Shining...

* * *

Cadence and Shining trotted through the Canterlot market, looking for wedding gifts at Cadence's insistence (Despite the fact the wedding was still a ways off.

"Ah-ha!" Cadence decreed upon coming up on a fruit stall. "Kiwis!"

Shining stared blankly. "Kiwis?"

"Yeah. Twilight told me about she's been wanting kiwis recently while we were over." Cadence explained as she made the necessary transaction with the merchant.

"Cadence, Twilight hates Kiwis!"

"Oh?" Cadence asked. "Well, maybe she likes them since moving to Ponyville."

"When Mom asked why she didn't like them, Twilight _gave her a haiku about it_!" Shining Armor exclaimed raising his hooves into the air.

Cadence shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, Shiny."

Shining winced. "Um...please don't call me that. I had a bad dream where Big Macintosh called me that after I fainted."

Cadence nodded her head in understanding.

"Pardon me, dear boy..." A posh voice said from behind them. The couple turned to see Fancypants behind them.

"Fancypants!" Cadence gasped. "What does the most influential pony in Canterlot want with us?"

"Well," Fancypants began. "Rarity is a dear friend of mine, and she told me via letter about the events that transpired while you were visiting Twilight Sparkle."

"O.K.?" Shining asked, not sure he liked where this is going.

Fancypants adjusted his monocle and pulled a paper out of his tux. "Well, from the sounds of it, Shining has himself a case of homophobia. I would like to think these seminars of mine could help with that." Fancypants offered Shining the paper, who took it cautiously and looked at it.

"...I'll think about it." Shining said at a moment's length, slipping the paper into his shirt.

"Splendid, my dear boy! Oh, and if you or your lovely wife need anything, don't be afraid to ask, hmm? I'd love to stay and chat some more, but I have to get going. Prior commitments and all that. Toodle-o!" Fancypants departed while Shining took the paper back and looked at the dates.

* * *

Nighttime in the Ponyville Library, Pinkie scribbled in crayon on papers on Twilight's desk. "So, was Shining O.K?"

"Yeah..." Twilight replied unenthusiastically.

Pinkie put the crayon down and trotted up to her lover, wrapping her hug and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Aww, you sound so down, my personal star. Did he say something that made you sad?"

Twilight scraped a back hoof. "I...I performed a memory charm on him."

Pinkie scratched her head. "Well, why would you do that?"

"Because...because I told him."

Pinkie gasped and hugged Twilight more tightly. "Oh, Twilight Sparkle...my little Sparkle...was it a strong one?"

"My strongest." Twilight answered, giving Pinkie a hug in return, her voice breaking slightly.

"There, there, my spark...It's O.K. It's all O.K...It'll be all right."

Pinkie stroked her hoof through Twilight's mane comfortingly as Twilight's sobbing into her shoulder became the only thing audible in the library halls...

* * *

**Author's Notes for 'The Fear'  
**

**Oooh! The plot, unlike Henry Spencer's hair, continues to thicken.  
**

**Pop references in the Author's Note now? What is this madness?  
**

**I would think that Ponies would have a different word for 'homophobe' then homophobe, since 'homo' means 'man' but I couldn't think of one. :c  
**

**June 18th of 2012: I know 'Homo' also means 'same'! That doesn't make it not weird to me! You can stop informing me now.  
**


	3. The Intervention

**Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.  
**

**By Darkryt Orbinautz:**

**A Chink In The Armor  
**

**Chapter 3:**

**The Intervention  
**

* * *

Shining pushed himself up off his and Cadence's bed, the memories of his dream where Chrysalis and Cadence were snuggling suddenly fresh in his mind. He turned to make sure Cadence was still there and not filly-fooling Chrysalis. (Or any female that he knew of, really.) He let out a sign of relief and got onto the floor. He trotted on over to the bedside drawer and pulled it open, his captain's outfit inside. Picking it up of the drawer, a paper fell out of it.

Bending over, he saw was the flyer Fancypants had given him yesterday. He signed and shook his head.

"...It couldn't hurt to try, could it?"

* * *

"It's very good you're doing this." Cadence told Shining as they trotted through the Canterlot streets on their way to Fancypants' building. "The first step to overcoming a problem is admitting you have a problem."

"I don't have a problem!" Shining objected. "I...It's...not right."

"Why isn't right?"

"I don't know!" Shining snapped. "It's just! Like stealing! Stealing isn't right! Those ponies all pay for their stuff, then some petty crook takes off with it and sells it on eHay to some random schmuck, who happens to be a friend of the pony who got robbed, so the next time they meet, it's really awkward!"

Cadence blinked twice. "I...I think you got offtrack."

Shining signed. "Yeah...I did."  
The two continued on in silence until they saw a pink haired white unicorn in front of them. Fancypant's companion, Fleur-de-lise. But something was off. She had wings!

"Fleur?" Shining asked. "What are you doing here? and since when do you have wings?"

"Oh, Shining!" Fleur giggled, putting her hoof to her mouth. "I've always wings. I just kept hidden until now. I heard you have a problem with your sister's groom? Or lack thereof?" Fleur raised her eyebrow knowingly.

"Yeah." Shining answered.

"Well," Fleur said, cuddling up to Shining. "I might have a solution for you..."

Cadence felt a tinge of jealous protectiveness, but didn't say anything. Something felt wrong...more wrong then just 'some other girl cuddling my husband' wrong.

"**Attention, residents of this street!**" A booming, magically enhanced voice shouted. "**Thou shall feel great honor today, for your Princess Luna wishes to socialize with thee!**"

Shining, Cadence, Fleur and other ponies walking on the street just looked dumbfounded on Princess Luna, who was over a sidewalk corner surround by her abnormal bat-winged night guard.

"**First, We- that is to say, Princess Luna, not you- wishes to- to...**" Luna stopped abruptly, staring at Fleur-de-lise snuggling Shining.

"**Residents, our socializing has, sadly, been postponed...CHARGE!**" Luna commanded her guard, charging with her horn aglow at Shining.

Shining fell over to his side, covering his eyes to try avert the flashes of green and purple that were suddenly filling his vision. Once they had cleared, he checked to make Cadence was O.K. She was on her belly, but fine.

Shining and Cadence got up and looked at what would've caused Luna to freak out like that. To their shock, they saw the black corpse like form of Queen Chrysalis laying on her backside a few feet in front of them, flanked by the Night Guards.

"But..." Chrysalis whimpered. "How did you know?"

Another black mare came crashing down on top of Chrysalis, pining her down. Luna's alternate form, Nightmare Moon.

"**You are the not only one blessed with shape shifting! Your wings gave you away.**" Nightmare Moon boasted, gesturing to her chest proudly.

Shining stared at the sight, transfixed. It was not the best time for him to be seeing that, as the way Nightmare Moon was pinning Chrysalis reminded him of the way lovers get on top each.

"Bah!" Chrysalis said, kicking Nightmare Moon. "I beat Celestia, I can beat you!"

"**Ah!**" Nightmare Moon countered. "**You beat Celestia with Shining's unexpectedly powerful love. Celestia had to use the Elements of Harmony to beat me. Let that sink in a second.**"

Chrysalis squinted her eyes, trying to let that 'sink in.'

Shining's Love ^ Celestia

Nightmare Moon ^ Celestia

Celestia with Elements ^ Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon smirked as comprehension dawned on Chrysalis' face. Panicking and acting too quickly for anypony to react, Chrysalis sped over to Shining and forced him into a kiss, touching her horn to his. Shining's eyes went green and loopy from the effects of Chrysalis' spell, but they returned to their normal blue after Chrysalis removed her lips.

"Ah-hah!" Chrysalis decreed. "With the power of Shining's love within me once more, you cannot stop me!" Chrysalis fired a green beam from her horn at Nightmare Moon. Cadence supported Shining, physically drained from Chrysalis's assault

"Shining, are you O.K.?"

Shining managed a weak "Yeah..."

"Princess!" Cadence shouted at Nightmare Moon. "Do something!"

Nightmare Moon just stood, eyes cold and unaffected, as the beam made it's way towards. The Night Princess made a mock yawn, covering her mouth her hoof...then raised her hoof to block the beam just as it was about to make contact. The beam refracted off Nightmare Moon's royal slipping and into the air.

After the beam faded, Chrysalis could only gaze in awe at Nightmare Moon's power.

"**My turn!**" Nightmare Moon announced, sweeping a hoof across the air. A gust of wind shot forth from the motion and blew Chrysalis across the street.

Nightmare Moon walked up to Shining and Cadence. "**You two continue your plans for the day. Don't worry about her.**" She then walked over to Chrysalis, clearly meaning to beat something nasty out of her.

Cadence carried Shining in to the direction Fancypants' seminar location, whistling innocently to try to push aside the spectacle she just witnessed out of her mind.

* * *

"Ah, Shining! Good to see you took my offer." Fancypants said as Shining and Cadence entered the room. A circle of chairs were set up, a blue unicorn, a pelican beaked, mustachioed gryphon and a curly haired mule already having taken seats. Beside Fancypants' was the real Fleur-de-lise with a notebook and pencil in her hooves.

"Introduce yourself, Shining, and take a seat, will you?" Fancypants asked.

"Mm-hm." Shining cleared his throat as he and Cadence took a seat each. "Hello everypony. My name is Shining Armor, I'm captain of the royal Guard, and this is my wife, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or just 'Cadence' for short. She doesn't have any issues, but she's here to support me."

"Hello Shining!" Echoed dully throughout the room.

"I am the Great and- I mean, the- I mean...I'm Trixie." The blue unicorn introduced herself.

"Mulia Mild!" The mule said.

"Gustave, at your service."

"All right then, now that we're properly introduced, who wants to talk about their problem first?"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie should be first in everything!" Trixie boasted, then cleared her throat. "But, in honor of this being his first time with us, I say Shining should go first."

"Splendid!" Fleur exclaimed. "Shining?"

Shining shifted nervously in his seat. "My little sister's getting married."

"Good for her!" Gustave said, clapping his bird talons.

"...to another filly." Shining added.

An 'oooooh' came from the others.

Before anything more could be said, Chrysalis came crashing through the roof in the middle of the chair circle, bringing chunks of plaster with her. She looked up to the hole she made. "No more, Nightmare Moon! I beg of you!"

Nightmare Moon and her Night Guards poked their heads through the hole in the ceiling. "**Are you kidding? This is the most fun I've had in centuries!**"

"Yeah!" One of the Night Guards cheered in a nasally, thuggish voice. "Get her, boss!"

"Yeah, yeah, get her!" One of the other Night Guards agreed.

Chrysalis was levitated into the air by the purplish glow of Nightmare Moon's magic, despite her protests of increasingly desperate 'No!'s.

"**Oh, before I leave...you can bill me for the damages, Fancypants.**" Nightmare Moon and her Guards lifted off into the sky, Chrysalis dragged through the roof by Nightmare Moon's magic, putting another hole in it.

"...Right." Fancypants said. "Fleur, be a dear and make a note of that, will you?"

"Bill...Princess Luna...for...damages." Fleur said, saying what she was scribbling out loud. "Got it."

"So, as you were saying, Shining?" Fancypants quried, unfazed by the fact two demons had just wrecked his roof.

"Right." Shining tsked. "My sister is getting married to a filly, and...I object."

"Why do you object, Shining?"

"Well...I just...the story goes 'when a colt and mare love each other _very much_...' not 'when a mare and mare love each other very much'!" Shining exclaimed. "It's just...it doesn't seem right to me. I mean, she's marrying her best friend Pinkie Pie, for crying out loud!"

Fancypants adjusted his monocle with his hoof. "I see. Tell me, Shining Armor, do you think that Pinkie is..._wrong _for your sister, somehow?"

Shining stared. "What do you mean?"

"May I?" Trixie asked. Fancypants nodded. "You said Cadence was your wife, yes?"

"Yes." Shining replied, "But I don't see how-"

"How does Cadence make you feel?" Trixie questioned.

"Well...Happy, I guess." Shining said.

Cadence frowned. "Happy? Just...happy?"

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain. When I look into your eyes, I just so much good in them. You have no flaws in spirit or body. There is nothing wrong with you, and I know you'll be with me to the end, no matter how hairy things get. You...just, aggh...I don't know what you do, but I don't want you to stop doing it...ever."

Trixie, Mulia, and Gustave all wiped their tears from their eyes and clapped their respective appendages. "That...that was beautiful, Shining!" Trixie exclaimed.

"Tear-jerking." Gustave added. "You've inspired me, Shining Armor. I've been hiding something from somepony, but your speech has shown me that hiding it is the worst thing I can do about." Gustave flapped his wings and rose up into the air.

"I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU, MULIA!"

Mulia blinked twice with an nervous expression. "I...have a confession to make too. The reason I've been attending these seminars is...because I'm in love with you too, Gustave!"

"Oh my love!" Gustave said, swooping over and reaching his talons for Mulia to take. "Come with me, and I'll shall take you to the stars!"  
Mulia reached out her hooves for Gustave to grab, and Gustave flew her out through the hole in the ceiling.

Cadence nudged Shining in the shoulder with a teasing smile. "Here I thought spreading love to Ponies was _my _special talent!"

"Mmmh, yes." Fancypants said, adjusting his monocle again (Why does he keep doing that?). "I suppose you should be thanked for allowing a love to bloom, but now I feel I must continue; Shining, you said Cadence inspires indescribable feelings in you. Do you think that Pinkie will be somehow _unable _to give Twilight the same feeling?"

Shining blinked. He hadn't even thought of that. Then he got an idea, an awful idea, an wondrous, awful idea. That manic gleam that shone in Twilight's eyes when she was about to do something Celestia disapproved (in order to earn her approval!) made it's way onto Shining's face.

"Shining, are you all right? You seem...off." Cadence asked.

"Yep, yep, I'm fine!" Shining said with an enthusiastic nod of his head. He zipped over to Fancypants' and gave him a vigorous hoofshake. "Thank you for the seminar, Fancypants, Very profound. I know what I'm going to do!" With that, he bolted out the door.

"...Should we be worried?" Cadence asked.

"Verily." Fancypants answered with posh, adjusting his monocle (_Again_?).

* * *

"No!" Celestia screamed at her deadly opponent. "No! I can't lose! No! Nooo! Forgive me, Equestria, for I have failed you!" Celesta whined.

She threw down the video game controller, got up from her beanbag and banged her head against the T.V screen, as if that could somehow make the characters in her video game able to hear her. "Curse you, Doctor Ivo Cortex! CURSE YOOOOOOOOOOU!"

A knock on the door to Celestia's relaxation room interrupted Celestia before she could start on various insults about Doctor Ivo's parents for making her lose the game yet again.

"Princess?" Twilight's voice called out uncertainly. "I was told you were in here right now...could I talk to you about something?"

"Of course, my faithful student!" Celestia replied, using her magic to pull the double doors open. Twilight Sparkle stepped through, looking uncertain, casting her gaze at anything that wasn't Celestia.

Celestia could tell Twilight was troubled. "What's wrong, Twilight? Is it something about the upcoming wedding?"

"No...well, a little bit. See-" Twilight was interrupted by a gasp coming from Celestia's lips. Twilight turned around to see what was wrong, and Chrysalis was standing in the open doorway.

"Run, Twilight! I'll hold her off!" Celestia instructed, scraping her hoof and lowering her horn. Twilight galloped as fast as she could through the double doors.

Chrysalis actually _spread her legs apart _so Twilight could run under her like an arch, unhindered. Once Twilight had left, Chrysalis began slowly, deliberately trotting up to Celestia with an utmost smugness benefiting of a queen. Once they were in each others personal bubble, Chrysalis raised her hoof to say something...

Then promptly fell down on her knees, wrapping her front hooves around Celestia's. "Dear Princess Celestia, I beseech you, for the love of all this is good and holy in this world, _protect me from your sister_! Do me this single act of kindness, and you will have my unending gratitude."

Celestia put a hoof to her chin in thought. "Unending?"

"Till the end of time...or you. Whichever comes first."

Celestia scratched her chin. "Unending?" She repeated, just to be sure.

"Unending, undying, unparallelled!" Chrysalis shrieked. "Just keep your crazy sister away from me!"

Celestia furrowed her brow. "All right." She used her horn to close the door.

A knock began banging on in within minutes. "**Sister, open up! I know you're in there!**"

Celestia walked up to the door and opened it with her hoof. "Why, Luna! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"**I believe that Chrysalis is hiding here in somewhere...**" Nightmare Moon explained coldly.

Behind Celestia's beanbag, Chrysalis wrapped her front hooves around her back ones, fearful of being discovered.

Nightmare Moon moved her head to peek behind Celestia's shoulder. "**Your beanbag is in an interesting position today, Sister****...**"

"Oh yes." Celestia replied without missing a beat. "I was feeling sore, so I adjusted it." To keep up the facade, Celestia raised her rear hoof and rubbed at her ribcage tenderly with it.

"**Mmmh.**" Nightmare Moon said suspiciously, but she seemed placated and hovered off...only to come back and point her hoof at her eyes, then Celestia's face in the 'I'm watching you' gesture. Then she floated off without coming back.

Celestia closed the door. "You're safe now."

"Oh, may the fates smile on you, Princess Celestia!" Chrysalis praised, jumping out from behind the beanbag and throwing herself at Celestia's feet. "You have my eternal gratitude! I will always remember this! Muah!" Chrysalis gave Celestia a worshiping peck on the hoof. "I am at your beck and call. Should you need something, you need only ask."

Celestia shifted her lips back and forth, then put a on very coy smile.

Chrysalis grimaced. "I'm...not going to like what you're about to make me do, am I?"

Celesta's smile grew wider. "That...depends."

* * *

Evening setting on Ponyville, Pinkie comforted Twilight across a table within the confines of Sugercube Corner.

"She...she was so close to me, Pinkie." Twilight said. "I don't what would've happened if...if..."

"Hey, hey." Pinkie said, rubbing Twilight's cheek with her hoof. "Don't focus on the 'if', you're here now. Celestia hasn't wrote you a letter saying she lost...it's all O.K."

"Here you go, ladies!" Mr. Cake said, balacing a tray with two chocolate cupcakes. "I don't know what's got you two so down, but if chocolate doesn't fix it, nothing will!" He set the cupcakes down on the table for them, keeping the tray balanced on his head.

Twilight's tail suddenly bounced up and down. "Watch out, Mr. Cake. Something's about to fall."

"Eh?" Mr. Cake grunted.

Shining Armor burst through the door with a slam so heavy that it caused the tray to fall off Mr. Cake's head.

"Oh, hello Shining! I was just giving the happy couple some sweets. You want one? On the house!"

"That'd be great, thank you!" Shining accepted. Mr. Cake went off back into the baking to make Shining's pastry.

"So Twilight, I wanted to talk to you." Shining said, inviting himself over to the table and taking a seat.

"About?" Twilight asked drearily, scooping some of the frosting off her cupcake.

"About...hey, you all right? You sound kinda down."

"It's nothing." Twilight assured him. "Go on, Shining."

"Well, I've been doing some thinking, and..."

Without warning, Shining jumped onto the table. "I can't let you marry Pinkie!"

Twilight looked at Shining with surprise. "Why not?"

"I don't need a reason why! I'm your brother! I took care of you for years, so I know what is and isn't good for you!" On the outside, Shining was wearing a look of disapproval, but on the inside, he was smirking. Twilight would have to choose between him and Pinkie, and with the reminder of all that Shining had done for her as filly, Twilight was sure to pick him!

Shining's plan seemed to be going perfectly, judging by the look on Twilight's face. But then Pinkie Pie stood and whispered something into Twilight's ear. Shining perked his to hear what it was.

"_When all...is said...and done and dead, can he...love you, the way that I do_?"

Twilight bobbed her head left and right, as if entranced by some music. Twilight motioned for Pinkie to give her some space.

"Shining. At the wedding, the minister will ask if anypony has a reason for me and Pinkie to not be wed. If you speak up, when he asks that..."

Twilight shot a beam from her horn that narrowly missed Shining and turned an unfortunate stool into a smouldering smear on the floor.

"Well, I think you get the idea." Twilight crossed her arms.

"Um...I'm not interrupting something, am I?" Mr. Cake asked nervously, a cinnamon roll in hoof.

"We were just finished." Twilight told him haughtily.

Mr. Cake gave Shining the roll. Shining thanked him and left the establishment with an aura of tension hanging about his shoulders.

Mr. Cake was about to leave and go back into the baking area, but stopped at the door.

"_Wait...Twilight's tail twitched, then she told me something was about to fall...could it-? No...that's ridiculous._" He thought to himself, but just a moment after his thought, Pinkie's and Twilight's ears flopped in unison, then their eyes fluttered, and then their knees started shaking, as though they were pinchy.

"Dear?" Mrs. Cake asked, accidental slamming Mr. Cake into the wall with the door. When she closed the door, she saw her husband lying limp on the floor from the impact.

"Oh my goodness! Dear, are you all right, Carrot?" Mrs. Cake exclaimed, rushing to her husband's aid.

"I'm fine." Mr. Cake assured her. "But..." He beckoned for her to lean down so he could whisper in her ear.

"_I think Twilight'__s acquired Pinkie Sense!_"

* * *

**Author's Notes For 'The Intervention'**

**The plot thickens deeper still, like a sweet syrupy honey that only becomes thicker the more and more solvent you pour on it!  
**

**I know that by the time of 'A Canterlot Wedding' Luna has adopted regular speech...  
**

**But I like my Luna with Faux-Shakespeare talk!  
**

**Can you guess the origin of Doctor Ivo Cortex's name?  
**


	4. The Secret

**Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.**

**By Darkryt Orbinautz:**

**A Chink In The Armor  
**

**Chapter 4:  
**

** The Secret  
**

* * *

Afternoon in Canterlot...

"I don't think my plan worked." Shining informed the seminar group, which, after Gustave's and Mulia's dramatic confessions, consisted of only Trixie and himself, not counting Cadence, Fleur and Fancypants.

"What makes you say that?" Fancypants inquired, adjusting his monocle (again.)

"I think she hates me now..."

"Oh?"

"Um, well...She told me that if I spoke up at the wedding when the minister asks for any objections, she'd vaporize me."

"Mmmm..." Fancypants said. "I think there's something you left out, Shining Armor."

Shining shifted his eyes shiftily (redundancy, much?). "Um...what makes you say that?"

"Well, if you 'calmly explained' why you don't think Pinkie and your sister should marry, I can't think of a reason why Twilight would be threatening to inflict lethal harm on you."

Fancypants was dead-to-rights right, but Shining wasn't going to admit he acted confrontational to him.

"Well, clearly we don't have the whole picture!" Shining said, trying to throw suspicions off him. The wording of his sentence did the exact opposite, however, as to Fancypants' monocled eye, that was a good as a neon sign saying 'Yeah there's something I'm not telling you that I won't tell you because I don't want to admit it to myself.'

"Right." Fancypants... adjusted his monocle. "Trixie, perhaps you have something to share with the group?"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie..."

Shining was too busy wallowing in...whatever it was that Ponies wallowed in (Grass?) to make out the conversation going between Trixie and Fancypants, but Fleur-de-lise got up off her seat and approached.

"So, Captain Armor...I hear you're having troubles between you and your sister?" Fleiur asked politely.

"Yeah..." Shining groaned.

"Mmm." Fleur nodded, then began to trot away...but she stopped and put her mouth to Shining's ear on her way.

"_When all, is said and done and dead, does her love...really matter... that much, to you_?"

"But what I do know?" Fleur-de-lise said, moving away from Shining before Cadence got jealous and bouncing her hair curls. "I'm just a pretty face!"

Fleur-de-lise continued trotting, but Shining's gaze was on her the whole time she was going. The way her question had sounded so much like what Pinkie said to Twilight that Shining's mind was forced to wonder if Fleur really was 'Just a pretty face'.

* * *

Rainbow Dash stood outside the Ponyville library, ready to pounce on Pinkie Pie, as she knew the party pony was in there...

"One...two...three!" On three, Dash charged through the door and at the first pink thing she saw within, tackling it to the ground.

"Uff, Dash! You shouldn't barge in on Ponies like that!" Pinkie scolded, nailed to the floor by Dash's body.

"Oh, pfft! Are you kidding me? That was great! It work really well for today's pranking exercises!" Dash said with a grin.

Pinkie 'Hmmph'ed. "Well, as much I as love going on pranking excursions with you, Dash, if you will look around..." Pinkie gestured a hoof across room, pointing to a knocked over chair, an open book lying on the floor, and a slightly off center table. "You will see prior to your little _greeting_ I was trying to read!"

Dash raised an eyebrow. "Read? Since when do you read? Aw, you been hanging out with Twilight too much!" Dash floated up into the air and tried to pull Pinkie to her hooves, but Pinkie's tail started twitching.

Something pony-shaped and sized landed on Rainbow Dash, nailing her to the floor to Pinkie's left as Pinkie got up and tried to tidy up the mess.

The object that landed on Rainbow Dash revealed itself in Rainbow's vision, poking over the pegasus' head to look at her.

"I'll go pranking with you, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight announced.

"Uh, you?" Dash questioned. "Uh, no offense, Twilight...but you're an egghead. Not exactly the best pranking partner..."

"_Au contraire_!" Twilight countered. "With my intense studies of books, I know how to manipulate matter! That know-how can be applied to pranking. Furthermore, as a unicorn, I am able to do things neither you nor Pinkie are capable of, and can further use to avoid an emergency in case things get outta hoof, thus making me an _excellent_ choice of pranking partner!"

Dash put a hoof to her chin, puzzled, but unable to think of an argument that would've been both deterring and logical to the unicorn. (She could actually think of lots of deterring ones, but she knew Twilight wouldn't accept them for a distinct lack of logic in them.)

Dash shrugged. "Eh, all right, I'll try it. How bad could it be?"

"You two have fun." Pinkie called as the Pegasus and her lover got up to leave.

"Oh, and try not to interrupt anypony's _reading_!" Pinkie added, clearly upset.

* * *

"So, who should we get first?" Rainbow Dash questioned, saddlebag full of all sorts of novelty items.

"How about Applejack?" Twilight suggested. "She's sturdier then Fluttershy, less likely to come at us with scissors for interrupting her work then Rarity, and she's too dependable to want to hurt us for whatever we mess up."

Rainbow Dash, being a fast pony herself, didn't notice how fast Twilight had said that whole sentence. "Yeah." She said with a shake of head. "Applejack's good."

They made their way to Sweet Apple Acres and hid behind a tree as Applejack came into view.

"What are we gonna do first?" Rainbow questioned.

"First-" Twilight started, then stopped. She turned around and waved her bouncing tail in Rainbow Dash's face.

"Twi', not that I don't appreciate the way you're willing to dance for me, but aren't you getting married?" Dash questioned, not picking up on Twilight's intended meaning.

"No, silly filly!" Twilight said. "I thought-

Applejack bucked the tree they hiding behind, causing the apples to fall of and pelt Rainbow Dash in the head.

"You knew that twitchy tail meant something was gonna fall!"

Rainbow Dash was confused. "I'm confused. I thought that was Pinkie Sense?"

"Yeah!" Twilight answered as though this was a fact of life like 'clouds rain' or 'birds fly'. "Pinkie Sense!"

"But, Twi'!" Applejack protested, having heard the conversation between the two and rounded around the tree. "There's a reason it's called _Pinkie_ Sense! If y'all have it, then it can't be- hang on a sec 'ere, how _do_ y'all have it?"

"I dunno!" Twilight answered cheerfully. "I guess I just spent so much time with my super special awesome duper one-of-a-kind Pieacus that it started rubbing off on me!"

"Ah think her speech patterns are startin' to rub off on ya, too..." Applejack muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nuthin' important." Applejack answered. "Y'all continue on yer day..."

Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle did as Applejack instructed, cantering off to find some other pony to prank, ideally with more success.

Applejack pulled her hat over her eyes ominously. "While Ah do a little investigatin'..."

* * *

Applejack went inside the library, to see Pinkie reading a book and her brother pursuing the shelves.

"Big Macintosh? What are y'all doing in 'ere?"

"Looking for a book." Big Macintosh replied before exclaiming, "Ah! There it is." at the book he pulled off the shelve with his mouth. "Pinkie, ya think Twilight will mind if Ah borrow this?"

Pinkie shrugged. "That's what a library is for, isn't it? I'll make sure to tell her. Which book is it?"

"_1001 __Changing Potions For Changing Emotions._"

"All right then. Be on your merry way."

Big Macintosh left, passing by a rather worried Applejack on his way. "Eeeehh...you all right there, A.J?"

Applejack shook her head. "Yeah, ah'm fine...just a little confused about somethin'."

Big Macintosh 'mmm'ed and finished his exit.

"So, Pinkie..." Applejack drawled, trotting up to the party pony's seat.

"Sooo, Applejack..." Pinkie said in response.

Applejack peered over Pinkie's shoulder to see what she was reading. It looked rather like some fancy scientific mumbo-jumbo, which Twilight probably poured over every night.

"...Is something bothering you, Applejack?" Pinkie asked after a long quiet.

"Wut makes ya say that?" Applejack questioned, apparently offended.

"I find the way you're breathing down my neck rather telling."

Applejack took a deep breath. She wanted to tell Pinkie that everything was fine, but the notion of Twilight having

"...Twilight's got your Pinkie Sense."

Pinkie 'mmm'ed. "Is that so? Well, I wouldn't look too much into it. You remember what happened when Twilight started investigating my Pinkie Sense, don't you?"

Applejack scraped a hoof. "Yeah..." She wasn't actually reassured by this. She couldn't help but get this nagging feeling Twilight (and maybe Pinkie too) were hiding something.

Applejack left Pinkie alone, then trotted upstairs to see if Spike was there, which he was. He looked like he was rummaging through a drawer.

"Howdy, Spike! What'cha missing?" Applejack greeted.

Spike let a startled yelp and turned to face Applejack. "Oh...nothing." He said, then walked away from the dresser and went downstairs. Applejack watched him go, and got the feeling that he was up to somethin'.

"Ah wondering if _Ah'm _starting to get Pinkie Sense..." She mumbled. She turned her to the drawer and walked up to it. Spike had left it open, and staring Applejack in the face was a book. A book quite clearly labeled:

_Twilight Sparkle's Personal Journal_

_Please do not read, as that would be rude and disrespectful of my privacy.  
_

There was a sticky note tacked on.

_That includes you, Spike._

Applejack shifted her eyes back and forth from the drawer to the door. If Spike was trying to get to Twilight's diary, that was a good as reason as any... She gulped and threw her reservations to the wind, picking the journal and hiding under her hat.  
Then she galloped out the door as fast her strong legs could carry, throwing a hasty "Bye Spike, bye Pinkie, had a great time!" on her way out.

"Have a nice day!" Pinkie and Spike threw back.

Spike twiddled his finger, hoping Applejack hadn't found what he was trying to do.

Pinkie was unusually silent for a minute, locked in her thoughts.

"Spike." She said after a pungent pause. "Follow Applejack."

"Oh, gee, I'd love to, Pinkie but I-"

Pinkie snapped her book shut and slammed on the table, getting up to glare at Spike coldly.

"That wasn't a _request._"

* * *

A knock banged and thumped on the door to Shining's house.

"Who is it?" Cadence singsonged.

"It's Big Macintosh." the crimson stallion replied. "Ah got something for Shinin'...Ah mean, Shining."

Cadence opened the door to see Big Macintosh with a flask of orange liquid in his grasp.

"What's that?" Cadence asked, pointing at the flask.

"It's the something." Macintosh replied flatly.

"Oooo...kaay...SHINING!" Cadence called. Shining was there in a flash.

"Yes, dear?"

"Big Macintosh apparently has 'something' for you?" Cadence explained, gesturing towards the flask.

Shining levitated the flask up. "I...presume you want me to drink this?" Shining asked, throwing Big Macintosh an uncertain glare.

"Eeeeyup."

"All right then." Shining popped the cork and started drinking the flask' contents. In fact, he started gulping it up.

"Mmmmh! This was great! What is it?" Shining exclaimed.

"Ah won't tell ya just yet." Big Macintosh answered coyly.

Shining raised an eyebrow...then clutched at his stomach as pain began shooting through every fiber of his being. He fell on his back in pain.

Cadence was horrified. "What did you to my husband?"

"Trust me, Cadence; It's for his own good." Big Macintosh assured her.

"'For his own good'?" Cadence snarled. "He's writhing in pain on the floor! Explain to me how that-"

"Look again." Big Macintosh instructed.

Cadence was confused, but did as told.

And then she _couldn't stop laughing._

"H-hey!" Shining protested. "Knock that off! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!"

"No." Cadence agreed, falling to her sides. "It's _hilarious_!"

Big Macintosh chuckled. "Your wife's laughing. Why aren't you?"

"Oh sure!" Shining exclaimed, throwing his-_her _hooves into the air. "You're a real zuit suit riot, buddy!"

* * *

A thumping knock came onto Rarity's door.

"Yes, just a minute!" Rarity called out, sifting through her fashion supplies in the air with her magic. After selecting a particular spool of thread and dropping everything else, Rarity pulled the door open to be greeted by a somber looking Applejack.

"Oh, hello Applejack! To what do I owe the honor?"

"Twilight's got Pinkie Sense!" Applejack snapped, holding Twilight's journal up. "An' Ah think this'll tell us how."

"Oh, but Applejack!" Rarity gasped. "You remember-"

"Yes ah remember! Pinkie already reminded me! Ah'm not trying to find it how it _works_, just how Twilight's got it! Ah...ah don't want to read this mahself, but ah know that Spike was trying to get it into it, so _somethun's_ up."

"Yes..." Rarity nodded in understanding. "I understand. Let's see..."

Rarity levitated the journal out of Applejack's grasp and began skimming through it. "Mmmmh...nothing so far but notes on her Friendship Reports and activity in Ponyville that was new to her...oh, wait! Here's something!"

"Wut? Wut?" Applejack exclaimed, zipping by Rarity to read over her shoulder.

The date was sometime two years ago...

_Dear Journal..._

_The most amazing thing happened tonight! I fell in love with Pinkie!  
_

_I suppose I should be more specific...see, Princes Luna showed up for Nightmare Night, some awful magic she cast on me as Nightmare Moon started back up and I...tried to punish Pinkie for making things so difficult. It wasn't me! It was those notes in my head! But Pinkie knew. She understood. She hosted this party and played this beautiful music. After she was finished, the notes were out of my head! Before I could say anything else, she gave a kiss! I'm sure she meant it as little, chaste, friendly kiss, but something just...happened. A spark in me went off. I lost total control of myself, and all I could think was trying to make her-  
_

Rarity and Applejack covered their mouths and blushed, as Twilight's journal entry went to what could understandably be called 'Too much information.'

"Le's...let's skip that part, eh?"

"Agreed." Rarity said, flipping the pages over with her magic. It was more reports and notes about Twilight's studies and adventures with her friends, though with the occasional mention of Pinkie Pie's name in a slightly favoring fashion.

"Wait, go back!" Applejack exclaimed, raising a hoof. "Ah think ah saw somethun' in there!"

Rarity flipped a page back delicately, showing a page which was dated eight months ago.

_Dear Journal_

_Today my tail twitched and Spike a dropped a flower pot on Fluttershy's tail while trying to help her with her plants. Fluttershy, bless her heart, was more worried about whether any splinters got into Spike's feet then anything in her tail.  
_

_But still...my tail twitching...no, no, it's mysterious, I'll give it that, but I can't imagine how...  
_

The next page over was dated two days after the previous one.

_Dear Journal_

_I've developed Pinkie Sense! How did this happen? What happened? I-...Oh, I know. It must've...'transferred' to me somehow when...when...when...  
_

The page just had 'when...' repeating over and over until the page ran out of space.

"When wut?" Applejack questioned. Rarity shrugged. They started flipping through the pages again until they got to day after the big announcement.

_Dear Journal_

_I...did something I'm not proud of today. I had to cast a memory charm on my brother.  
_Rarity and Applejack gasped, then kept reading to see if the page revealed anything more then that.

_I was in a corner...I had to tell him, but I don't want anypony knowing...no one knows but Pinkie and I, and no one can. Not yet. Thankfully, not even Princess Celestia could break that particular charm._

Rarity and Applejack were stunned. Twilight, saying there was something her beloved mentor Princess Celestia couldn't do?

The two read the next page, which was dated just a day after the memory charm incident.

_Dear Journal  
_

_I was going to try to talk to Celestia about Shining Armor's homophobia. He denies having it, but he's not that much of a better liar then I am. then Chrysalis showed up! Chrysalis! Celestia told me to run, and I did...but Chrysalis was so close to me...that monster almost touched her...I can't stand the thought of-of-  
_

Twilight's neat and tidy black ink writing was suddenly replaced by loopy, silly-looking pink chalk.

_It's all right, dear. Pinkie Pie's here. I'm here, Twilight..._

The words _Pinkie's Here _then repeated across the page. As they read it, it became clear that Pinkie had been writing.

"Twilight let Pinkie write in her journal!" Rarity exclaimed.

Applejack put a hoof on her chin. "Now wut could Twilight be so ashamed of that would make her do somethun' like mindwipe her own brother?"

"Applejack..." Rarity said nervously.

"Don't y'all 'Applejack' me! This is something serious that Twilight's hiding that she used mind magic on her own brother! What it could be?"

"Well." A voice said behind with a fear-inspiring calm. "I imagine if she doesn't want Shining to know, she probably doesn't want you two either!"

Applejack turned around to met with hiss of steam from the nose of a rather angry looking Pinkie.

"OH! Pinkie! Ah, uh, well, ya see-"

Pinkie motioned a hoof for silence. "I _see_ quite clearly. You thought something was wrong with Twilight and hoped her journal would tell you what it was. Well, it didn't, did it? Furthermore, Twilight told _me _what it was and didn't mind magic me, so I know what it is! And I can't tell _you that you don't need to know_! Now...the journal, please."

Rarity levitated the journal into Pinkie's hoof. Pinkie curled her leg around and huffed as she left the Boutique. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves!"

Rarity and Applejack stared at the floor and scuffed their hooves, being exactly that.

* * *

"I can't believe it!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, hiding in the bushes outside of Fluttershy's cottage with Twilight. "We're gonna be the first Ponies to successfully prank Fluttershy!"

"Yeah..." Twilight agreed uncertainly. "I can't help but think there's something we're missing though..."

Dash scoffed. "Please! We knocked on the door, we left some spiked flowers in front of it, and we put a spring-loaded apology note for once the prank had run it's course! What could we be missing?"

Twilight's shoulders sagged. "I guess you're right...oop! Here she comes!"

Fluttershy came out the door and gasped at the flowers. "For me?" Fluttershy went back into the cottage.

Dash was befuddled. "...What's she doing?" Twilight ignored her, still thinking over what it was she'd forgotten.

Fluttershy came back out with a bright red salamander in her grasp. The salamander opened it's mouth, revealing itself to be an Elemental Salamander as flames came rushing out it's mouth and burnt the spiked flowers into ashes.

"I REMEMBER!" Twilight exclaimed suddenly. "I gave a Fluttershy an express anti-pranking package which included an imported salamander, an ultraviolet flashlight and-"

The bush the prankster's were hiding suddenly whirred to life and began smacking them to-and-fro across the ground.

"Anti-pranking...artificial...bushes."

Fluttershy blinked at the bush's treatment of her friends.

"Yo, Fluttershy! A little help over here?" Dash called out.

Fluttershy shrugged. "Ehh, it'll stop after 5 minutes or so. Don't struggle. That'll only make it worse." Fluttershy turned and headed back into her cottage.

* * *

Some time later, Twilight, Pinkie and all their other friends gathered around for an outside lunch at the local restaurant. Pinkie Pie seemed to avoiding Rarity and Applejack's gaze, and they were doing the same.

"APPLEJACK!" A high-pitched voice screamed, causing everypony to whip around to see the mare who made that was charging up at them.

The mare slammed her blue hooves on the table they were eating. "Look at what your brother did to me!" There was something familiar about her...

"Mah brother? What did he do?" Applejack replied.

"Look! Just-Just-LOOK, O.K?"

The six ponies did as told, but they couldn't see anything wrong.

"I'm sorry, miss-" Twilight tried to explain. "But we don't see anything wron-"

"MISS? _MISS?_" The mare bellowed. "IS THAT HOW YOU GREET YOUR BROTHER?"

Everypony raised their eyebrows, then gasped as the realization struck them.

"SHINING ARMOR?"

"YES!" The now-female Shining screamed, pointing at Applejack. "Your brother turned me into-into a_ filly_!"

"But...how?" Applejack questioned. "Mah brother's not a unicorn..."

"I know!" Pinkie smirked as Cadence and Big Macintosh came into view. "_1001 Changing Potions For Changing Emotions_, right?"

"Eeeeeyup."

"But...how?" Twilight and Rarity both asked.

"Ah, shucks! Y'all don't need to be a unicorn to pick a bunch of funny-looking leaves and chuck 'em in a pot o' hot water, now do ya?"

"Well, since we've got that out of the way..._why_?"

"Weeel," Big Macintosh drawled. "Ah heard that Shining Armor here had a few...issues with Twilight getting married to another mare..."

"Which I still deny." Shining Armor said, crossing his- sorry, _her_- hooves.

"So Ah figured he'd accept it better if he went through the day as filly himself, then at the end of the night, he'd tuck in for bed and then..." Big Macintosh gestured over to Cadence suggestively.

"Oh my!" The delicate Fluttershy shivered at the implication.

"That..." Shining rasped. "Is disgusting."

"Wut's disgusting?" Big Macintosh questioned. "It, or the fact that you'll be a mare while doing it?"

"Big Macintosh!" Rarity exclaimed in appall. Rainbow Dash stifled an immature giggle.

"Oh." Shining complained. "What makes you so sure I'll be doing it at ALL, huh? Huh? HUH?"

Big Macintosh shrugged.

Cadence put a hoof to her mouth and giggled. "In bed with a girl...who happens to be my gender-flipped husband. That'd be surreal."

Shining huffed, blowing some hair out of 'her' face.

Big Macintosh looked around, then hid under the table. "Aw, horse-apples."

"Big Mac?" Applejack peeked under the table.

"Look at the restaurant's telly. They're playing a show Ah was in."

"Y'all were in a show?"

"Eeeyup..." Big Macintosh said with a hint of shame.

"Ooooh...my." Cadence gasped.

"What?" Everypony said in unison.

"Well...look." Cadence said, pointing at the restaurant's T.V.

It became quite clear what Big Macintosh was so ashamed of. The T.V began playing the music intro of the show.

* * *

A CHINK IN THE ARMOR

TRACK 1:

THE SIT-COM INTRO:

GENRE:...Sit-com intro.

She's black!

She's white!

She's a prankster!

She's a fright!

They're unlikely friends!

But they're both stuck with it in the end!

Weather they're shopping a for lemons and lime

Or fighting demons from disruptions in space-time!

If they save the day

or get in your way

don't get hissy!

It's just another daaaay~

With Celly and Chrissy!

Celly and Chrissy!

Celly and Chrissy!

* * *

Cadence, Shining Armor, Twilight and friends were stunned. All just...just stunned. Stunned. It seems redundant for the narration to say 'stunned' that many times but there were...no...words...for-for THIS!

On the television screen, Celestia and Chrysalis were sitting a green living room, both dressed in blue overalls and farmer straw hats. Celestia was reading a book while Chrysalis was sobbing into a couch pillow.

"Oh, Chrissy!" ...'Celly' lamented. "What's wrong?"

...'Chrissy' slowly rose up from her pillow and whined. "My-my- coltfriend dumped meeeee!"

"Oh, Chrissy!" ...'Celly' cried with concern, abandoned her book and reaching to comfort...'Chrissy'. "He was a jerk anyway! He didn't derserve a mare as beautiful as you!"

...'Chrissy' sniffed and wiped her nose. "Ya...mean it?"

"Yes!"

A deep voice cleared his throat, and Big Macintosh walked onscreen, clad in a top hat, monocle and black cloak. "Chrissy! Celly!" He snapped in a deep, cultured voice that showed no sign of him being an Apple pony and replaced all the 'y's in his sentences with 'v's.

"Vou are late on vore rent! Explain voreselves!"

"Oh, we're sorry, Big Adam! We were so distracted about Chrissy's breakup we forget!" ...'Celly' apologized.

...'Chrissy' wailed. "All the colts in this town are pigs!"

...'Big Adam' gasped. "How dare you!" He swished his cloak and revealed a pig and held it up high like a trophy. "Little Hort is so many things the common colt could never be!"

"Well, Colt's can't be a whole of things if they're all pigs, now can they?" Celly quipped, looking directly at the camera. A laugh track played.

Back in the real world, everpony's jaws were still hanging loose.

No...words. None. None at all. There were...NO words!

"I..." Twilight choked out after long silence. "I need to go write to Princess Celestia about this..." Twilight got up from her seat and took off. Pinkie followed, looking dazed and confused.

After a couple more minutes of silence, Applejack's jaw popped back into place, and she ducked under the table.

"Big Macintosh! How come y'all never told us you were in a show with Princess Celestia? Ya could help the farm with that kind of paycheck!"

"Ah could..." Big Macintosh admitted. "Doesn't make it not embarrassing, tho'."

* * *

"Oh, Twilight...it's O.K, dear." Pinkie tried to reassure Twilight as she packed up.

"No, Pinkie. It's not O.K. I can't stand the thought of that monster being so close to her..." Twilight said, slamming something inside her suitcase.

"Oh, Twilight...my little shining star..." Pinkie said, nuzzling Twilight before the unicorn pushed her off.

"My little pastry pie..." Twilight assured her with a smile and pecked her on the cheek. "I have to do this. I have to."

Pinkie hung her head. "I know you do."

Twilight walked out the door.

"...I just wished you didn't." Pinkie added solemnly, a tear forming in her eye.

* * *

Chrysalis sat in her new royal chambers in Canterlot. "A sit-com. A sit-com!" Chrysalis lamented. "I went from one of the biggest threats to Equestria since Discord to being a sit-com actor!"

The door suddenly squeaked open, revealing Twilight Sparkle, who had an unusal detached look in her eye.

"Chrysalis..." Twilight greeted coldly.

"Oh, Twilight Sparkle!" Chrysalis greeted back with a sense of bemusement. "Did you see the new sit-com me and Celestia were in?"

"Yes..." Twilight sneered. "I did..."

"What did you think?"

"It...upset me."

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Did we include something that upset you? I told the director we'd alienate the male audience with that pig joke..."

"No, no, no, no,..." Twilight said with a shake of her head. "The part that upset me...was including you."

Chrysalis 'hmm'ed inquisitively, motioning for Twilight to elaborate.

"You almost ruined my brother's wedding, turned all my friends against me and nearly destroyed Canterlot, and here Celestia- my mentor- is fraternizing with you like you've been best friends forever! I can't accept that! And yesterday! You were so close to her...close to me. You almost touched her."

"Oh...understandable." Chrysalis said. "Still, I don't- Twilight? Twilight, what are you doing? Twilight? Stop that right-"

Celestia came romping perkily up the staircase in the tower with a paper in her mouth and burst through the door. "Good news, Chrysalis! The ratings just came in and they are-HU!" her excitement was cut short by the horrifying sight before her.

The window was broken and it's pieces were everywhere, looking like somepony had made a hasty escape by jumping through it, but that was nothing compared to the fact that Chrysalis was hanging from the ceiling, a chain suspending her right rear leg, and green blood was seeping out of a smoking hole in chest.

"_Help...me._" Chrysalis groaned weakly before her eyes closed shut.

* * *

Pinkie rushed Twilight up the staircase to the bathroom, trying to get her to the tub before anypony saw the green blood and glass adorning her form.

* * *

**Author's Notes for 'The Secret'**

**The plot thicke- you know what? That's getting old.  
**

**Random old song reference for the win!  
**

**The origin of Doctor Ivo Cortex's name was partially from Doctor Neo Cortex...but it was also from Doctor Robotnik or 'Eggman'. See, in licensed comics, Robotnik's first name is normally given as 'Ivo'.  
**

**Isn't being a nerd grand?  
**

**One more thing, that line ' When all is said and done and dead...' line is from a song (_Eve 6: Think Twice Before You Touch My Girl_) I heard from a PMV ('Think Twice Before You Touch My Brother') and was meant as a throwaway reference, but at this point, the phrase is turning into Arc Words.  
**


	5. The Revelation

**Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.**

**By Darkryt Orbinautz:**

**A Chink In The Armor  
**

**Chapter 5:**

**The Revelation  
**

* * *

In their home, Cadence got on her back on the bed and covered herself with sheets scandalously. She held up her back leg enticingly. "Come on, Shining...how bad could it be?"

Shining Armor, still under the effects of the flask, and ergo, a mare, stood opposite the bed, quavering in his/her horseshoes...(did he wear horseshoes?)

"Very bad!" The gender bent guard captain replied. "I have no idea how to operate in my normal life as mare! How am I supposed to do it in my sexual one?"

"Well, get over here and we can find out!" Cadence snapped back in a semi-seductive, semi-authoritative voice.

Shining uneasily took a step forward, then one of the guards under Shining's command burst in the room. "Captain Shining Armor, Sir!" The guard did a double take. "Captain Shining Armor, Ma'am!"

"AHHH!" Cadence exclaimed. "Shining, what do you teach your guards about manners? I put a sock on the door!"

Shining turned toward the intruder and gave him a hard glare. Though mentally, he was thinking the guard for interrupting Cadence's seduction attempts. "The lady has a point. What _do_ I teach you?"

"Code seven-nine-one: In a emergency, good manners such as knocking on doors, excusing yourself after burping, covering your mouth when yawning and not crossing your hooves in the presence of Timberwolves come second to a timely response!"

"Emergency? What emergency?"

* * *

_CALAMITY IN THE CONFINES OF CANTERLOT CASTLE!_

_Queen Chrysalis, who recently entered a 500-year servitude to Princess Celestia in exchange for protection from Princess Luna's powerful and vengeful sister, Princess Luna, has been attack right under Celestia's nose!_

_Our regular readers will know that Chrysalis and Celestia have started a sitcom by the name of Celly and Chrissy, staring fictionalized versions of themselves. The show proved to be a smash hit, breaking 4-digit ratings within minutes of debut._

_Details about the attack confirmed by our intrepid reporters are;_

_Celestia was tromping up the stairway to Chrysalis' room to inform the Changeling of the show's success when she found said Changeling dangling from the ceiling by a chain with bleeding hole in her chest and the window broken._

_Celestia seemed rather distraught, and when asked, had this to say._

_"I said I'd protect her from my sister, but I made no mention of any other ponies who'd wish to harm her."_

_Further questioning confirmed that Chrysalis was currently in the Canterlot hospital, and that while, yes, many would like to harm Chrysalis for her role in the Royal Wedding, few would able to do right under Celestia's nose and not be apprehend in a timely fashion. Concerns regarding the security of the castle are priority one._

_We are told the investigation is still on-going._

Luna snorted at the newspaper and pushed it away before drinking her cup of coffee.

She spat the coffee back out, drenching Shining Armor's face in.

"**THIS IS DECAFFEINATED, YOU FOAL!**" She screamed. She coughed to compose herself. "**Ignoring your gross incompetence in regards to your Princess' choice in beverages...**" Luna continued, not realizing she was still using the Royal Canterlot Voice.

"Gross incompetence regarding...beverages? _Really?_" Shining muttered under 'her' breath.

"**And the media's attempts at utter slander of me and my sister, we supposition that the newspaper summarizes the situation sufficiently.**"

"All right..." Cadence said. "So we need to find out who attacked Chrysalis? Why do we need to do that? SHE"S EVIL!"

"**Didn't you read the newspaper, my niece? The attacker is still at large! What if Chrysalis was just the first one? What if he or she tries to strike again, and this time, at innocent pony?**"

Shining saluted. "Understood. Before I depart, I have one question though..."

"**Yes?**"

"Where are Celestia and Chrysalis?"

* * *

"She'll be O.K." The nurse of the Canterlot hospital assured Celestia, sitting on her haunches in front of Chrysalis' bed. "She'll need some time to recover, but she'll live."

"Thank you, nurse." Celestia said. She pushed her nose up against the bed's railing.

The nurse hesitated before trotting out of the room. "...I'll leave you two alone."

Celestia thanked the nurse again before signing through the railing at the unresponsive Chrysalis. "I told you I'd keep you safe from my sister...but nopony else. I am so sorry, Queen Chrysalis. I do so hope you recover quickly...I starting rather to like 'Chrissy'..." It was just now that Celestia noticed something strange about the Changeling Queen. In spite of all her physical deformities- The fangs, the plating on her ribcage, the warped horn, and the bent legs with the weird holes in them-...she had a fair face. A very fair face. Almost beautiful, even. Celestia nodded to herself, shaking the thought from her head, she shoveled her hoof under Chrysalis' head and lifted it up to examine it.

"Such a...fair face." Celestia muttered to herself.

"Princess?"

Celestia whipped around to see a mare that looked like a gender-bent Shining Armor standing in the doorway.

"Oh, hello!" Celestia greeted, gently letting Chrysalis' head down. "Who are you?"

"Um...Shining Armor? Twilight's brother?...Captain of the guard?"

Celestia blinked at 'her'. "...Shining Armor is a colt."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know I am."

"...Dare I ask?"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't."

"Right then. What do you need, Shining?"

"I'm investigating the attack. Did the newspaper leave anything out?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. I was"

Shining's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Yeah." Celestia told the captain. "I know. I'm shocked too. An accurate newspaper? What _is_ society coming to?"

* * *

Pinkie and Twilight clopped throughout the library foyer, the latter with her hairs wet and covered in a towel. Partially to dry off, partially to hide the glass shards Pinkie was unable to remove.

"We'll have to go to the hospital..."

"No!" Twilight hissed. "What if they ask questions? What will I tell them? What will I tell Celestia? What...what was I _thinking?_"

"That you were doing the right thing." Pinkie assured her.

"Twilight! Twilight!" Spike yelled, running into the room with a newspaper in claw. "Look at this!"

"Look at what?" Both ponies exclaimed as Twilight levitated the newspaper in front of her and her spouse.

"Calamity...Canterlot Castle...Investigation on-going...WHAT?" Twilight bellowed, her magic setting the paper aflame. "This...is unacceptable!"

Spike tilted his head in confusion. "What's unacceptable?"

"Don't ask questions!" Twilight snapped at him before turning turning tail and galloping out.

Spike scratched his head. "What was THAT all about?"

"Don't ask questions." Pinkie reminded him.

"But Twilight-"

"No buts! No buts, ands, ifs, or or's!"

"What about ores?"

"No or's!"

"But I'm a dragon! I need to eat ores!"

"Well, maybe you should eat buts instead!"

"...Call me silly, but I get the feeling we're on two separate pages here."

"You're probably right...silly."

* * *

"All right, boys. We've got a problem here." Shining Armor said, marching in front of his troops (plus Cadence), gathered to investigate the attack. "Has everypony been briefed on the crime?"

"Yes..." The troops said, but they all trailed off, unsure of which pronoun to use.

"Sir."

"Ma'am."

Others attempted to recognize his status as a colt-turned mare, which resulted in delightful fusions such as 'Ma'ir.' and "Sa'am'.

"Um, Ma'am? Look!" One of the guards pointed towards Princess Luna, clad in her traveling cloak strutting towards them.

"Princess Luna?" Shining questioned. "What are you doing?"

"Investigating, obviously." Luna answered. "That is what ponies do after an assault, isn't it? Investigate? Find out 'who dunnit' if thou will?"

Shining and Cadence exchanged looks. Cadence stepped forward. "I'm sorry, aunt Luna, but well...right now, you're the prime suspect."

"WHAT?"

"Fact!:" One of Shining's guards shouted, raising a hoof. "You attacked Chrysalis a day or two beforehand." The other guards proceeded to expand on this.

"Fact!: Chrysalis came crying to Celestia in hopes that Celestia would somehow prevent you from ripping her a new one."

"Fact!: Celestia and Chrysalis came to the agreement of a 500-year servitude- a time which is actually paltry for immortals like themselves. I mean, it's almost 'community service' punishment for them, really-"

"Off-topic, off-topic!" Shining shouted.

The guards apologized and continued. "Fact!: The attack occurred after the designated time for the airing of 'Celly and Chrissy', a sit-com resulting from the aforementioned servitude agreement!"

"Fact!: The attack occurred in Chrysalis' own personal quarters she'd been given. All these facts suggest that the pony responsible is well-acquainted with the castle's layout and is extremely capable of slipping in and out of area in a rather short amount of time!"

"I wouldn't exactly call _jumping through the window_ 'slipping out'..." Cadence muttered.

"Rejoice, for our time has come!" A pony announced.

Luna, Shining and Cadence all facehooved in frustration and groaned. "_Now_ what?" The three galloped up ahead to see a very small crowd of ponies gathered around a wooden stage, seeming rather disinterested, or at least, mildly amused, but not taking the three ponies on the stage seriously. The three on the stage were a unicorn and two Earth ponies were coats similar to Trixie's, but different manes

"After all our hiding in shadow, at last we can move and restore the One True Princess to the throne!"

"...These ponies are insane." Shining observed. "I'm going to arrest them before they hurt somepony."

"No, no. I know these ponies. They're the Nightmare Coalition." Luna assured 'her'. "They're always trying to rally support to make Celestia retire and make me the only princess, but there's always slight logic flaw in their arguments...just watch, you'll see."

Shining and Cadence did nervous pony behaviors, like scraping their hooves while the cloaked unicorn began to exposition for his audience.

"Celestia's judgement has clearly been faulty, as she had no trouble accepting Chrysalis under her wing even after her crimes! It's so clear! Luna, realizing that Celestia was displaying a lack of foresight and attacked Chrysalis in the dark of the night! All the more reason alternatives to the sun should be found, so that nighttime unending can reign, and Luna can watch under us forevermore! In day, her protective eyes are blind, but they see everything in the darkness! Join us and support our cause, and so that the great and powerful Luna may be the sole heir to the throne!"

"A very nice speech!" Luna called out. "But there's just one tiiiny thing you're missing..."

"What's that?" The unicorn asked, looking everywhere at his audience except the direction Luna was in for who was talking.

"The attack happened in the afternoon!"

The unicorn raised his hoof to say something to counter, but it put it down he didn't have anything. He looked to his Earth pony buddies for help, but they both shrugged. Defeated, all three of them sat down on their flanks to wallow in...whatever ponies were supposed to wallow in.

"Right then." Luna said. "Let us continue the investigation!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure..." Shining said unenthusiastically. "Hey, isn't that Twilight?"

Sure enough, over by the stage, Twilight Sparkle was chatting to the cloaked unicorn. Twilight did a little salute for him, and he pulled another one of the cloaks he and his buds were wearing and gave it to her. Twilight thanked him and went on her way when she was waylaid by Shining's party.

"Twilight?...you think Luna should rule alone?"

"What?" Twilight asked absentlyminded. "Oh, yeah, sure, whatever. Princess Luna! Yaaay!" She really didn't sound too convicted in all that. "Now, can you excuse me please? I have somewhere to be."

Shining and company let Twilight pass. Though something was still confusing Shining...

"...Why was she wearing a towel?"

"What do you mean, 'why she wearing a towel?" Cadence responded.

"Cadence, what _possible explanation_ could you have for _my sister wearing_ A TOWEL?" Shining screamed.

"Isn't it obvious?" Cadence said, pointing back at the Coalition ponies. "She didn't have a cloak!"

"WHY DOES SHE NEED A CLOAK?"

"I DON'T KNOW! ASK HER!"

"**WHY ARE WE YELLING****?**" Luna interrupted, trumping over Cadence's and Shining's volume.

"I DON"T KNOW THAT EITHER!"

"**THEN CAN WE STOP NOW?**"

"YEAH, SURE! I MEAN...yeah, sure!"

* * *

Twilight, having changed from her towel to her recently acquired robe, entered the Canterlot hospital and walked up to the reception desk. The nurse greeted her amiably enough. "Hello, Twilight Sparkle! Here to see Celestia?"

Twilight looked around the hospital floor. There were a few ponies around waiting for something, so she had to be careful what she said. "Actually, I..."

The elevator dinged opened, and Celestia slowly trotted out with pink spots adorning her cheeks.

"Princess! Are you okay?" Twilight exclaimed. "Did you catch something from a patient? Were you coming down something that exposure made worse?"

"What? Calm down, Twilight, I'm fine. Why would you...oh. I'm just...blushing, is all."

Twilight made confused noise that sounded like a duck honking. "Why were you blushing?"

"I'd rather not say." Celestia said as she walked by Twilight. "And Twilight? You sound like a duck. I suggest you get that checked out."

Twilight tail hairs twitched nervously as Celestia left. Twilight beckoned the receptionist over and whispered into her ear. The receptionist nodded and gave her permission to go to the room.

Twilight entered the elevator and pushed the up button, going up a few floors. When the elevator stopped, she exited it and walked down the hallway until she found the room she was looking for.

Chrysalis' room. Without knocking, Twilight entered and closed the door behind, a creepy, horror-movie-esque creak emitting from it as she did so. She paused, looked between and Chrysalis' bed and the door, then opened the door and closed it again. It made the same creepy creak. She did again to make sure.  
"...Might want to tell the staff about that." She noted to herself, then she steeled her resolved and began walking towards Chrysalis. "What...what is that?" Twilight narrowed her eyes on the piece of paper that somepony had left in Chrysalis' hoof. It had a elegantly curved signature of _P.C._ written on and a lipstick mark. She lifted up out the hoof and examined. There was literally nothing else on it. She put it back, but her motions made Chrysalis begin to stir.

"Mmmm...hm?" Chrysalis groaned and blinked her green eyes open. They widened at the sight of Twilight drifted over to the hospital remote used by patients to summon the staff.

"Don't...even...try." Twilight warned her.

Chrysalis tried anyways, rocketing her hoof out as fast she could towards the remote. Twilight reared her head down stabbed the floor, and when she pulled up, the cord the remote was connected to was impaled on Twilight's horn, preventing any signals from the remote reaching anypony.

"Now that's taken care off..." Twilight said with a villainous tone.

"Heeheehee..." Chrysalis responded.

"Now that that's taken care of..."

"Hahahaha...HAHAHA!"

"_WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING ABOUT?_"

"I'm sorry!" Chrysalis apologized. "I can't take you seriously with that cord on your head!"

Twilight looked up at her horn to the cord impaled on it. Slowly, she lifted a hoof to it and pulled the cord off and tossed it to the floor. "Better?"

Chrysalis giggled a bit, then stopped. "...Better."

"Now, let's do what I came here for..."

"What?" Chrysalis asked fearfully.

"Oh, don't worry." Twilight assured her, grabbing Chrysalis' head with her hooves. "This won't hurt a bit..." Twilight's horn began glowing, and she touched it to Chrysalis' forehead.

* * *

Laying on her bed, Celestia signed. With her magic, she levitated a lipstick stick and observed callously. It was both the most and least interesting thing in the room to her right now, at least until there was knock. Her magic faded, and the lipstick fell to the floor with a barely audible clunk. "Come in..."

Shining Armor, Cadence and Luna all entered. "Sister, I regret to report that we have made zero progress in our investigation."

Celestia blew some uncaring air through her nose. "Then unless you have some other business, I ask of you to leave and come back when you _have_ made progress."

"Well...it's just...you spent an awful lot of time at the hospital..." Cadence informed her, scraping a hoof. "Are you..okay? Has the attack...unsettled you in any manner that isn't readily obvious?"

Celestia made a frustrated noise. "What could you mean, 'that isn't obvious'? Somepony under _my_ care was attacked on _my_ watch and almost killed! What isn't obviously upsetting about that? Furthermore, you should be aware that I-"

A maid burst into the room, cutting Celestia short. "Princess! It's Chrysalis!"

"What? What about her? Is she okay?" Celestia exclaimed hurriedly, earning a curious eyebrow from Luna.

"She's fine! She's awake! She wants to name her attacker to you personally!"

Faster then their eyes could travel, Celestia bolted out the door, knocking the maid down like a bowling pin.

Cadence and Shining gawked at the speed Celestia was traveling until Luna hurried them out.

All three of them stepped over the maid as they left.

"That's okay..." the maid said after they were all gone. "Don't mind me...I'll just be here and be a doormat."

"Then do you mind?" Another maid said, standing out the door. "It's time to change the royal bedsheets."

"Go right ahead!" The downed maid growled, unappreciative of her coworkers inability to understand sarcasm.

_Meanwhile, back at the hospital..._

A blur of bright colors came rocketing through the door and up the staircase, leaving all the occupants of the room baffled in it's wake.

"What the Tartarus was that?" the receptionist exclaimed. Luna, Shining, and Cadence all entered behind, observing the befuddled occupant of the room.

"Receptionist!" Luna called out. "Did you see a zooming blur of bright colors?"

The receptionist pointed at where the blur had gotten off to.

Luna bowed her head. "Thou hath our thanks. Forsooth, our companions!" The party galloped in the direction the receptionist had pointed in.

The receptionist watched them go, still confused. She looked the visitors in the room. "Seriously, do any of you ponies know what the Tartarus that was about?"

Everypony, predictably, shrugged.

The receptionist rolled her eyes. She knew that was coming. "Thought I'd ask anyways..."

Back up in Chrysalis' room, Celestia and co. crowded the Changeling, eager to know the identity of her attacker.

"Who was it, Chrysalis? Who?" Celestia demanded. Luna looked at her curiously.

Chrysalis blinked, looked between the four of her audience...then pointed to Shining. "It was him."

"What?" Cadence exclaimed.

"_What?_" Shining growled.

"WHAT?" Celestia bellowed.

"**EEH?**" Luna said, breaking the trend.

"It was him! I'm sure of it!" Chrysalis repeated.

"But...Shining was with me in Ponyville at the time the attack is reported to have happened!" Cadence objected. "We have seven credible witnesses!"

Celestia 'hmm'ed. "Chrysalis, would you allow me to check you for a memory charm?"

Chrysalis nodded. "Yes...but I don't remember anypony charming me at any point."

"Well, if a pony has the smarts to use a memory charm, she probably has the smarts to wipe the target's memory of her using it!" Celestia snapped, before touching her horn to Chrysalis' head. "There is definitely one there...but it's protected by charms I have never seen before in all my life."

The princesses (plus Shining) all exchanged glances and began pacing about the room. "Let's see...the pony who attacked Chrysalis is evidently a unicorn...or at least, a magic-user...she evidently was somehow informed of Chrysalis' condition and came here to keep herself from being found..."

"We suggest a return to the scene of the crime!" Luna announced. Everypony nodded in agreement.

"Yes!" Chrysalis agreed, struggling to her hooves...only to fall right back down.

"Stay here." Celestia demanded. "We'll sort all this out."

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "Yes, _dear_." She snarked, though the comment turned Celestia's cheeks pink.

Everypony, bar Chrysalis, hurried to the tower Chrysalis' quarters were in. Shining and Celestia examined the room itself while Luna and Cadence hovered with their wings over the ground, covered in glass shards.

"We've been searching here for 20 minutes!" Cadence complained. "and we still haven't found anything!"

"True." Luna admitted. "But the longer you look at something, the more parts of it you can see..."

"Uhoof! All I see is a bunch of glass shards! Granted, that one over there has some blood in it, but-"

"What?" Luna interrupted. "Give it here, quickly!"

Cadence levitated the red-stained shard out of the ground and over to Luna, who took it into her hoof.  
"I don't see what the big deal is..." Cadence admitted.

"The deal, my niece, is that with magic, we can identify the blood on this shard, find out out who done it, and put this whole mess behind us!" Luna closed her eyes, and a black beam of light shot out from her horn to the shard, then drew back into her horn. Luna's eyes shot wide open.

"I don't believe it..."

* * *

"I don't believe it, Pinkie." Twilight said as Pinkie tried to comfort her. "My own brother! My own brother...how could I..._do_ that to him?"

"Oh my little shining sparkle..." Pinkie lamented as she stroked Twilight with one hoof and tried to pick out the glass shards with tweezers in the other. "you weren't thinking straight."

"But that's the worst part!" Twilight complained. "I was thinking straight!"

Pinkie paused and blanched. "You went to Canterlot wearing nothing but a towel. You want to tell me that was straight thinking?"

"...Point taken. But still! How am I going to explain all this to our friends? To Shining? To _Celestia_?"

"Just tell them what happened and why. You were embarrassed. It's perfectly fine to be embarrassed."

"True, true..." Twilight admitted. "but it's not fine to almost murder somepony! Even they're not really a pony..."

"Twilight, you had every right to be upset. Especially after what that monster did."

Pinkie plucked one last glass shard from Twilight's body, and started massaging her unicorn's neck with her hooves.

"But-oh, yeah, right there, right there!" Whatever Twilight was about to say was replaced by moans as Pinkie's hooves traveled across her back. "Yes, yeeesss...you have so much magic in you, Pinkie."

Pinkie giggled. "Not nearly as much you do."

The two got into a not-really-a-fight spat about who had more 'magic' in them.

Pinkie stopped messaging Twilight and chomped on Twilight's ear with her mouth, careful not to use her teeth. She started gumming it. Her antics seem to frustrate Twilight. "Pinkie..."

Pinkie let out a muffled sign. "I know, I know..." she said through her mouthful. She removed her mouth from Twilight's ear...then proceeded to chomp right back down, with teeth this time. She started jerking Twilight's head by the ear.

"Oh-oh! Yes!" Twilight moaned as her head was jerked up and down. "Yes, that's it! Nibble on me. Bite me..._hurt_ me. Hurt me until I bleed..." At some point, Pinkie dragged Twilight backwards, causing both of them fall over onto their backs, Pinkie's mouth releasing Twilight's ear. Twilight then started gumming on Pinkie's. Pinkie giggled at the ticklish sensation.

"You've been a bad, bad pony, Twilight Sparkle." Pinkie chided non-seriously.

Twilight let go of Pinkie's ear and looked at her knowingly. "Remind me again what happens when I'm a bad pony?"

Pinkie smirked and wiggled her tail, before raising it and _sssmack_ing Twilight's side with it hard. Twilight moaned and shivered, then looked over to her side. "Pinkie...my side isn't reddening." Twilight informed her staunchly..

Pinkie rolled her eyes. "You're insatiable."

"No." Twilight countered. "I just have high standards."

Pinkie _sssmacked _Twilight's side with her tail again and again, Twilight moaning every time until her skin started turning raw.

"Better?" Pinkie asked, slightly irritated at her loves' insatiable appetite for pain.

"Much." Twilight replied, panting slightly. "Now, let me catch my breath and I'll...I'll, oh Pinkie!" Twilight broke down into sobbing and buried her muzzle in Pinkie's chest. "Shining will arrest me! Worse, he'll disown me as a sister! Celestia will abandon me and banish me to the Everfree Forest!"

Pinkie rolled her eyes, disappointed that Twilight would choose now to bring circle back to this subject. "Are we back to that again?...Fine, fine. Should I get my fiddle, Twilight? Would you like that?"

Twilight wiped her eyes, sniffed and nodded. Pinkie gently pushed her off and left the room before coming back with a fiddle in her hooves. She started playing it.

* * *

A CHINK IN THE ARMOR

TRACK 2: Pinkie's Comforting Ballad

GENRE: Slow, seductive jazz.

Pinkie: When all is said and done and dead, do they know you the way that I do?

They don't know what we do.

No one knows but me and you.

You lost control

Twilight: Control...

Pinkie: The heat of the moment

Twilight: _Heat_...

Pinkie: Is enough to have anypony beat.

Twilight:  
You're like a puzzle in my heart

and on those occasions when it breaks all apart

You pick up the pieces

one...by...one

you keep me

from coming undone

But our friends...

They'll lock me up -and only me-

and throw away the key...

Pinkie:

They are no bars

They tear us apart

They won't break our couples' shell

our defenses are flawless

Twilight:...Flawless?

Pinkie: Flawless!

Twilight: But after this, they'll never again trust us...

Pinkie:  
Let their mistrust harbor  
They will fiiiind NO way strong enough to separate us,

Nooo!

They will not find  
_A chink in the armor!_

* * *

Pinkie finished her fiddle playing and slowly took the bow off her instrument. "Feel better?"

"Yeah." Twilight answered, wiping some tear fluid from her eye. "Much...Now, I think I owe you something..." Pinkie and Twilight both smirked knowingly at each other as Twilight drew Pinkie into a less-then-platonic grip and pursed her lips. Amidst the quiet of the room, the sound of their lips smooshing together was the only thing audible.

At least until there was knock on the door.

"Twilight Sparkle?" Celestia's voice said quietly from behind it. "Can we talk to you?"

Pinkie and Twilight exchanged worried glances. Pinkie closed her eyes and nodded. Twilight took a deep breath. "Come in!"  
Celestia, Cadence, Luna and Shining all came barreling it. Celestia ran right up to Twilight's face and screamed at it.

"WHY DID YOU ATTACK CHRYSALIS?"

Twilight raised her hooves up defensively, not expecting Celestia's volume. "I...I-it"

"WHY, TWILIGHT SPARKLE?"

"I-it, oh! _I don't know_!" Twilight wailed, crouching down to the floor and burying her face in her hooves.

"Sister, you are being unreasonable loud..." Luna pointed out. "Perhaps quiet is needed for this situation..."

"Quiet?" Celestia asked disbelievingly. "Quiet? My student disobeyed my wishes and hurt a pony that was my responsibility! Luna, do you really expect me to quiet about that?"

"YES!" Luna screeched. "and do you know why? Because it's Twilight's reasons for attacking Chrysalis we are here for, not for you to lash about your feelings for the wretch!"

Twilight was too frightened to notice or say anything, but Cadence, Shining, and Pinkie all took on surprised expressions.

"Feelings?" Cadence asked.

"Like, me and Twilight feelings?" Pinkie added.

"So, wait, now the _Princess_ is a lesbian?" Shining exclaimed rather bashfully. "...and in love with Chrysalis?"

"Not the point!" Luna said, waving her hoof for silence. "We'll deal with that later! Right now, we must question Twilight Sparkle!" Luna leered at her sister. "_Gently_." Luna then sat on all fours in front of the distraught Twilight. "Now, Twilight, will you please -calmly- explain why you attacked Chrysalis?"

Twilight raised one hoof off one eye and looked at Luna frightfully.

"Take as much time as you need, my friend." Luna said.

Twilight looked to Pinkie. Pinkie trotted over and embraced Twilight to give her strength.

"I did it..." Twilight said at last, before pushing Pinkie off and rising to her hooves.

"For reasons Shining couldn't understand...I did it, because I was upset that Celestia would take her in after everything she did...I went into the hospital and used a memory charm on Chrysalis because I was afraid she'd tell Celestia and I...I wasn't ready to face my actions like a grown mare. Shining was the first pony I could think who'd might want to hurt, _uck_, '_CHRISSY_'" She envenomed the last word. Celestia raised a hoof to scold her, but Luna pushed it aside.

"But the most important reason I did it...the one that would make everything good I ever did meaningless if it wasn't done properly...

was to protect my foal."

* * *

**Author's Notes for 'The Revelation'**

**Da da da, da da da, da dad DAT da- no, wait, that's the Jaws theme.**

**DUN DUN DUN! There we go. That sounds right.**

**Dramatic title drop is dramatic.**

**Also, I feel kinda...disappointed in the eponymous revelation. 'Twilight's mindwiped Shining Armor, tried to kill Chrysalis, and mindwiped Chrysalis when she survived!'**

**'Oh, she's just pregnant, is all.'**

**Do...do you understand where I'm coming from?**

**Additionally, one reviewer said he(or she) didn't know whether or not this was supposed to be crack. It's not. It's supposed to funny. Maybe a little absurd. Maybe a little over the top. A little hammy, perhaps...but not crack. So, I tried to see I could make this chapter a just a liiiiiittle more down-to-earth, (Equestria, whatever...semantics!)  
**

**I may have to edit this chapter at some point. There was a lot of stuff going through my head today, and frankly, I wanted this damn chapter out. So, nyeah!  
**


	6. The Trial

**Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.**

**By Darkryt Orbinautz:**

**A Chink In The Armor**

**Chapter 6**

**The Trial**

* * *

_Previously on 'A Chink In The Armor...'_**  
**

_Chrysalis was attacked by Twilight Sparkle and confined to a hospital bed, just barely surviving the attack. Captain of the Guard Shining Armor and Princesses Mi Amora Cadenza and Luna set out to investigate. Meanwhile, admiring her unconscious body, Princess Celestia began to develop feelings for her new servant. Twilight Sparkle, in a effort to keep herself from being found, used a memory charm on the Changeling Queen. Ironically, doing so caused her to be found out, and now Celestia, Luna, Shining, and Cadence are questioning Twilight and Pinkie within the confines of their own home. We now return to where we left off.  
_

* * *

"YOU'RE PREGNANT?" Shining bellowed out. Twilight nodded.

"This...I don't...how does..."

Shining fainted and fell to the floor.

Everypony facehooved and sat down on their haunches while they waited for him to come to.

* * *

_Ponyville, years later...the grass was weak and brown, the houses were decaying, wood molding and metals rusting. Twilight's library tree, however, was as strong and sturdy as ever, casing a shadow of pride across the weak autumn grass._

_Shining and Cadence, aged from their years spent travel and adventuring in pursuit of royal duties, trotted through Ponyville, stopping just short of the library. After so many years out in the wild, they had finally found the time to visit Twilight and see the foal she had years ago had grown into._  
_Cadence scuffed her hoof nervously, not knocking on the door._

_"Cadence?" Shining questioned. "What's wrong?"_

_"Well..." Cadence drawled. "It's just...I've been Twilight's daughter behind your back."_

_"WHAT?" _

_"Sorry..." Cadence shrugged shyly. "But she's pretty! She's not related to me by blood, and she can..." Cadence's eyes turned dreamy and glazed. "Go for hours on end." _

_The library door opened, and Twilight's daughter came trotting out. She was a dark pink unicorn with a fuchsia coat and bubblegum blue mane, and a body so curvaceous that even the object of lust Fleur-de-lise would be jealous of it. "Uncle Shiny!" Twilight's daughter exclaimed. "Oh, and Mi Amora!" She and Cadence embraced each other and gave each other a deep lovers kiss._

_"But..but..." Shining protested. "You're her Aunt-In-Law!" _

_"Not anymore!" Cadence said perkily. She held up a paper for Shining to read._

_"DIVORCE?" Shining screeched to the heavens._

_"Yup!" Cadence told him. "Sorry things didn't work out between us, Shiny. And I know that Big Macintosh wasn't that interested in you. You should try Ace. I've seen him ogling you a few times." Cadence wiggled her brows suggestively._

_"But...I...Till...I." Shining stammered._

_"Oooh! Poor Shiny!" Twilight's daughter crooned. She held up a round fruit in her hoof. "Comfort kiwi?"_

_"...Kiwi?" Shining questioned. A seemingly holy revelation struck him. "That..that's it! The kiwis! They're the answer to this mess! The kiwis! The Kiwis!"_

* * *

"THE KIWIS!" Shining squawked when he awoke, bolting upright. Everypony gave him a look.

"Twilight's pregnant!" Shining explained. "That's why she wanted the kiwis! Mystery solved! We can go now!" Shining turned to leave, but then stopped in front of the door as 'she' felt the all mares' eyes boring on 'her'. 'She' nervously turned back around. "Oh, yeah...there was...the thing. With Twilight attacking Chrysalis. That...that was a thing, wasn't it?"

Everypony glared disapprovingly.

"I'm, uh...I'm gonna go sit in the corner and shut up now, is that okay?" Shining pointed to the said corner.

"Please do." Celestia told 'her' irritably.

Shining scurried over the corner of the room and stuffed his mouth with his hoof to muffle himself.

"Now, back to the matter at hoof..." Celestia said, rounding on Twilight Sparkle. "Twilight Sparkle, I am very disappointed you. You went against my wishes and severely hurt a non-pony under my care that I would've like to have start developing a good relationship with."

"Are thou sure, sister, that thoust wouldn't have liked it too _much_?" Luna quipped.

Celestia raised a eyebrow. "What are you saying?"

"We're saying, sister, that we believe your recently-developed crush on Chrysalis makes thou unfit to pass judgement! Thou are too close to the issue to be objective! We will deal with this!"  
Celestia looked offended.

"Out!" Luna demanded, pointing to the door.

"You can't kick the Princess out of my house!" Twilight snapped.

"Thank you, Twilight Sp-"

"It's _my_ house! _I_ have to kick her out!"

Celestia gave a look that clearly said 'I am not amused.' Twilight turned to Celestia and pointed her hoof to the door, but it became apparent she lacked the confidence to actually _say_ she was kicking her out. So she ran behind Pinkie and pushed her towards the Princess.

"Princess Celestia, would you consider leaving...just for a minute? Please?" Pinkie asked agreeably enough. Celestia's mouth opened to say something in protest, but abstained at the last minute and she left the room without incident.

"Now that's done...we may proceed." Luna said staunchly. "We believe congratulations are in order, Twilight Sparkle. We hope thou have a wonderful foal. Who's the father, if thoust will permit us to ask?"

"Pinkie." Twilight answered with a completely straight face.

"WHAT?" Shining screamed, taking 'her' hoof out of 'her' mouth. "Okay. Okay. Okay! You can want kiwis-"

"Will you _shut up_ about the blasted kiwis?" Pinkie hissed.

"You can almost murder a Changeling Queen, then frame me for it...but you _absolutely cannot_ tell me that the father of your child is _another mare_!" Shining huffed and snorted, then narrowed his eyes. "Wait, don't tell me..._1001 Different Potions For Different Emotions_, right?"

Twilight and Pinkie exchanged nervous glances.

"Uuhhhhhh..."

"Eeeeee..."

"Ehhhhh..."

"Eeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyeah!" Pinkie said at last. "Sure! Let's go with that!"

"_I didn't use my horn on Pinkie in an inappropriate manner for which it was not intended!_" Twilight snapped defensively. "And anypony who says otherwise is a liar, liar, pants on fire! Which is a funny phrase, really, 'cause not everypony wears pants, so why would they be on fire? I mean-"

Pinkie stuck her hoof in Twilight's mouth. "Twilight."

"Sorry." Twilight apologized through it.

"Um, Princess Luna?" Pinkie questioned as she removed her hoof. "It is possible that Chrysalis used her brainwashing magic on Celestia?"

Luna shook her head. "A valid concern, Pinkimenia...but Celestia's feelings developed while Chrysalis was unconscious in the hospital. It seems unlikely." Luna turned to Twilight. "Even ignoring Celestia's feelings, that does not change the fact that you broke the law, Twilight Sparkle. A trial will have to be held."

Twilight nodded. "I understand...Princess Luna, can I make a request?"

"You may _make_ it as much as you like." Luna said, letting Twilight fill in the blanks.

"Whatever happens to me...can you make sure my foal's given the proper care?"

Luna looked at Twilight, then cast a sideways glance at Cadence. "We will see what can be done. We will inform your friends and family of the court date." Luna turned and left the room, leaving Cadence and Shining to stare at Twilight and Pinkie in awkward silence.

Shining scraped a hoof. Twilight did the same.

"So!" Cadence exclaimed, putting her hooves together in a desperate bid to break the silence. "What are you gonna name it?"

"Kiwi." Twilight replied boredly.

Shining's jaw opened and close in disbelieving. "I...it...really?"

"_No_." Twilight snarled. "We were gonna wait for her to be out of my belly before naming her."

Shining tilted 'her' neck and leered. "You know it's a her?"

"Mother's intuition." Twilight told 'her', crossing her chest with her leg proudly.

"Twilight?" Cadence asked in concern, pointing at the unicorn. "What happened to your side?"

"Hmm?" Twilight whipped her neck around to see her side, still raw from Pinkie's lashings. "Oh, that...well, ya see..."

"She's a masochist." Pinkie supplied, then gave Twilight a hard glare, which made Twilight flush. "And an insatiable one at that."

"Oh, okay." Shining and Cadence both said. "Uh...could you excuse us for a minute?"

Twilight and Pinkie nodded. Shining bolted out the door, Cadence in tow, to the library proper. The shelves filled with books organized by Twilight's meticulousness.

"Where are they?" Cadence asked.

"There!" Shining pointed.

The row of books-dictionaries- Shining pointed at were suddenly enveloped in the blue glow of their horns and lifted off the shelf. They began skimming through the pages.

"Matter...master...mastodon...mass...masochist!" They both exclaimed before reading the definition.

"Masochist; A pony who..."

"...Oh." Cadence said after they had finished.

"Oh." Shining repeated.

"_Oh..._" Cadence said again, with more emphasis then before. Then they dashed back into the room Twilight and Pinkie were in. They were met with blank stares.

"So...masochist, huh?" Shining questioned in an attempt to strike up conversation.

"Yes." Twilight answered.

Shining scratched 'her' chin with 'her' hoof, then lowered 'her' head. "So if I did_ this_..."

Twilight backed away. "Shining,_ do not_ touch me with that horn!"

* * *

The sun was shining bright on Ponyville. There were a few clouds scattered here and there. Some ponies might not have been satisfied with anything less then absolutely clear sky, but Rainbow Dash wasn't one of them. Lying on one of the said clouds, she kicked her hooves into the air and rested on her back, ready to rest and relax. She closed her eyes.  
Then she heard Applejack screaming her name.

"Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Rainbow! Dash! R.D!" Applejack shrieked as she galloped.

Dash groaned, then flopped over on to her belly so Applejack could meet her eyes. "Urrghh...What?"

"Twilight's getting a trial!" Applejack exclaimed.

"_What_?" Dash repeated, a little more surprised this time. "Why?"

"Ya know that attack on Chrissy-ah mean, Chrysalis? Twilight was behind that!"

Dash's jaw dropped open. "Twilight did that? I heard that Chrysalis was barely alive!"

Applejack nodded. "Ah'm gonna go round up Fluttershy. Y'all tell Rarity. We need to be ready to support 'er!"  
Dash saluted, and Applejack galloped off. Dash flexed her wings and took off towards the shop/house of the fashionista unicorn, but when she got there, she saw Luna trotting out of the entrance.

"What's she doing here?"

Luna looked upwards and saw Rainbow looking down at there. "Greetings, Rainbow Dash! We presume thou arsn't here to inform Rarity of Twilight's upcoming trial?"

"Yeah..." Dash said suspiciously.

"No need. We have informed her ourselves." Luna flapped her wings and took off in the sky towards Canterlot.

Dash crossed her front legs and 'hmm'ed. "Oh well. Better make sure Rarity is on board." the rainbow pony touched down in front of the door and was about to barge when she heard...well, that was the thing. She didn't hear anything, which was worrisome. There was usually something going inside the boutique at this time of day.

"Rarity?" Rainbow Dash questioned, knocking on the door.

"Come...in." Rarity said slowly and somberly through it.

Dash cautiously opened the door to see Rarity sitting at her desk with the sewing machine inactive on it. She seem to be admiring a see-through piece of blue silk. For some reason, there was heavy aura of regret and grief lingering the Boutique's air.

"You all right?" Dash questioned, letting herself inside.

"No, Rainbow Dash. I am not." Rarity answered. "One of my best friends nearly committed murder."

"Yeah!" Dash yelled. "So we need to get ready to help Twilight through this."

"No, Rainbow Dash..._you_ need to help her through this. I will stay right here."

Dash was shocked. "Rarity, Twilight's gonna be tried! She'll need her friends!"

Rarity jumped up off her chair and lashed out. "And I would be more then happy to support my friends! But not a would-have-been murderer! Which, at the moment, Twilight is both, so surely, Rainbow Dash, you can see that I am at a impasse!"

Dash frowned. "She's your friend!"

Rarity narrowed her eyes. "Rainbow Dash, do you see that silk on the table?" She levitated the silk and waved in front of Rainbow Dash's face. "Do you see it?"

"Yes, yes I see it!" Dash exclaimed, trying to swat the silk away.

"I nearly killed somepony with it!"

Dash's eyes doubled to the size of dinner plates in surprise, and she stepped backwards away from the cloth. "...Really?"

"Yes..." Rarity said slowly and somberly. "He was a bully at the school I went to...he and his gang came over and made fun of me when I tried my youthful aspirations for dresses out on the other students. One day, I got sick of it...so I...I snuck up behind and wrapped it around his throat and started to asphyxiate him..."

Rainbow blinked.

"Suffocate?"

Rainbow blinked again.

"..._Choke_?"

"Oooh!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Go on."

"At first, he was indignant, telling me he wasn't afraid...then he started threatening me to stop or else he'd send his gang after me...but it was only when he started begging and pleading that the horror of what I was doing struck me. I let him go, and the moment I got home, I made an apology present of the finest gems I could find. He didn't accept it. He told me that he would never accept accept a apology from me and to never speak to him again." Rarity started pacing, slowly clopping her way towards one of her mannequins. "And you know what the worst part is, Rainbow Dash? I had a feeling...a very intense feeling when I was choking him before he started begging..."  
Rarity levitated the silk away from Dash and wrapped it around the neck of the mannequin, then began pulling the silk backwards the way she would to choke a real pony.

"_I... enjoyed it._" Rarity whispered. "Before I realized I was hurting him, I enjoyed it so much..." She started tugging harder on the silk. It was only when her tail started wagging excitedly about that she realized what she was doing and stopped. Her cheeks flushed red and she cleared her throat. "And for that reason, Rainbow Dash, I cannot help support Twilight in this time of need. Her family has my condolences."

Dash looked at Rarity one last time before turning and leaving.

* * *

Applejack galloped as fast she could to Fluttershy's cottage and began knocking furiously on the door. "Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy opened the door, but Applejack didn't realize it, so she kept knocking, pounding her hoof into Fluttershy's face. "Applejack! Applejack! Applejack!" Fluttershy parroted.

Applejack finally realized what she was doing and retracted her hoof before adopting a shy smile..which faded. "Eh?"

Fluttershy's face and part of her neck were completely covered in soot and ash. She let out a weak cough.

"...Trouble with the Salamander?"

There was roar behind Fluttershy, and a spewing of flames was visible from inside the cottage behind her. "How'd you know?"

"Call it a hunch." Applejack said. "Anyways, Twilight's about to put on trial!"

"Twilight?" Fluttershy squealed. "What for?"

"The attack!"

"What attack?"

Applejack facehoofed. Of course Fluttershy didn't know about the attack, living out by the woods and all.

"The one on the castle?"

"Which castle?"

"The one in Canterlot!"

"Canterlot has a castle?"

Applejack raised an eyebrow.

"OOH! _Canterlot_!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "Sorry...the Salamander's been so out of control..."

* * *

In the hospital, Celestia was busy informing Chrysalis of the, (in her eyes) good news.

"Rest assured, my queen." Celestia whispered. "Your attacker has been located and the legal proceedings for her arrest are in motion."

"Don't call me queen, Celestia." Chrysalis retorted, not really caring. "Ponies will get the wrong idea..."

"Perhaps..."

Chrysalis looked out the window. The sun was setting, and the moon would be out within less then an hour. "Luna's night is soon to be here."

"Yes..." Celestia mused. The two different members of royalties both looked at the sunset and the crimson paint it was splashing about in the sky.

They looked at each other, both their coats illuminated by the fading sunlight.

"You have so kind to me these last few days." Chrysalis noted.

"That is my thing, yes." Celestia replied. "Kindness, honesty, and generosity."

Chrysalis tilted her head at Celestia. Then they locked eyes. Slowly, Celestia's neck craned down while Chrysalis' craned up. Their heads edged closer...and closer...until they're lips met...

Only for them both to recoil at the others touch.

"BLECH!"

"EECH!"

Celestia picked up an empty Styrofoam hospital cup and spit into it. "Your lips taste like swamp muck!"

Chrysalis scratched her tongue with her hoof. "Yours taste like white roses! Disgusting!"

"How is that disgusting?" Celestia asked.

"It is becoming quite clear that what Ponies like are things that Changelings don't!" Chrysalis sneered, then wailed. "Changelings! My subjects! With all that's been going, I'd forgotten about them! Princess Celestia, what am I to do? I must find sustenance for them!"

Celestia blinked, her expression becoming solemn. "I do not know..." She turned away and began trotting towards the window. She was greeted to the sight of the moon's teeny edge beginning to creep up towards. It was amazing, how things as different as night and day could become one another...

Then inspiration struck.

"Chrysalis," Celestia exclaimed, thrusting her hoof into the air. "I know what to do!"

* * *

Night covered Canterlot in it's entirety, leaving a bad taste of stale night and dusky dust in the air. The stars seemed particular dim, and clouds covered the moon, preventing it from shining down on the dreary atmosphere.

The Cakes, Dash, Applejack and Fluttershy trotted somberly behind Pinkie and Twilight, climbing up the Canterlot alleyways to get to the courthouse.  
Ponies, including Fancypants and Fluer and the Coalition, watched them as they climbed as they trotted. Some of them murmured and whispered to their companions. The humongous mass of ponies not taking their eyes off them began to make Twilight feel nervous.

"Could you stop staring, please?" Twilight snapped the crowd. "I'm starting to feel like a freak!"

Some of the ponies looked towards each other and departed the crowd, but some didn't.

Fancypants and Fleur exchanged glances, then attached themselves to the group, lagging behind the Cakes.  
After much walking, the group finally reached the courthouse. Twilight's parents were standing outside the entrance. They joined the group and entered.  
The door creaked creepily behind them. Twilight Sparkle turned her head back towards it and examined the mahogany.

"There was a door at the hospital that made the exact same noise!"

Fancypants adjusted his mmmmmmmmmm-mane! Adjusted his mane. Yes. "Fleur, make a note to investigate the Canterlot carpentry."  
Fluer did so, whipping out her notebook. Afterwards, the group continued onwards, each pony separating from Twilight and Pinkie as they proceeded down the hall and joining the appropriate bench. To Twilight's relief as she sat down in the chair the accused was supposed to sit in, Fancypants and Fluer were part of the jury.

"All rise!" Said the prosecutor. "For Princess Luna!"

Princess Luna was made visible in the judge's seat. "Twilight Sparkle!" Luna boomed. "You stand accused of attempted equucide, abusing a position of power, tampering with evidence, and leaving the scene of an accident."

Twilight balked. "What? It sounds like somepony pulled some strings to charge me with as many things as possible!"

Luna shifted her eyebrows. She raised her ethereal tail and shifted into a shadow puppet on the wall behind her of Chrysalis and Celestia kissing.  
_That's because somepony did_, Luna mouthed. She tucked her tail back in before anypony could notice. "How do you plead?"

Twilight signed and hung her head. "Guilty of attempted equucide in the first degree."

Twilight's parents looked to Shining, hoping he would say something against this. He shifted uneasily.

"Explain to the court your version of the events that led to, surround, and happened subsequently after the attack." Luna demanded, fairly but firmly.

Twilight took in a deep breath. This was gonna take a while. "As the Judge has been informed outside the court, I recently became pregnant. As many of you know, the victim has had her own criminal history. You may also know that I am the personal student of Princess Celestia."

"I was going about my business that day, hanging out with my friends, when my brother, Shining Armor, came running up to me to inform us that an Earth pony by the name of Big Macintosh had used a potion to turn him into a mare."

Applejack made a offended noise. "Ah don't like the way she's talking about mah brother."

"She's just being professional." Fluttershy told Applejack.

Twilight continued. "Shortly afterward, we were greeted by Big Macintosh himself and my brother's wife, Princess Cadence. Then after that, the airing of the sitcom 'Just Another Day With Celly and Chrissy' reached the local area, and my friends and I watched it on the T.V of the restaurant we were currently at. After the program cut to first commercial break, me and my fiance, Pinkie Pie, went to my house and I discussed my plans with her."

"Pinkimenia, is this true?" Luna said. Pinkie nodded. "Proceed."

"Afterwards, I made my way to the Canterlot castle and looked around for Chrysalis. I found her, and after restraining her, I stabbed her in the chest with my horn and began to pulse lethal levels magic energy through it. I heard hoofsteps, so I broke off my pursuit and jumped out the window. The next day, I found out that Chrysalis was alive and in the hospital, so I went over there to use a memory charm on her in hopes that I could avoid being named. But I modified her memory to believe she had been attacked by a pony who could be accurately and reliably placed at somewhere else at the time the attack occurred."

"State for the court you motivations." Luna said.

"As I said, I'm the Princess' student, I'm pregnant, and the victim has a criminal history. I was afraid that the victim would find some way to hurt me, or worse, my foal, using my relationship with Celestia."

Luna nodded. "Prosecution?"

"She deliberately attacked a pony that was under her mentor's protection!" The prosecutor said. "This was a thought-out crime that was premeditated, and furthermore..." He pointed at Pinkie. "There was a pony that could have prevented the crime before it was in progress!"

"OBJECTION!" Pinkie shrieked.

The prosecutor stammered. "On what grounds?"

_"Take that!"_ A pony in the peanut gallery said.

"SUSTAINED!" Luna bellowed over him.

"At the time she planned the attack, Twilight was unaware of the exact circumstances surrounding the development of 'Celly and Chrissy'!" Pinkie yelled. "Therefore, she was unaware that the victim had been placed under her mentor's protection! Additionally, the accused, being pregnant, has hormones that are 'out of whack' which I don't know how much they affected her thinking, but they certainly couldn't have helped!"

"Is that all?" Luna said.

"Actually, no." Pinkie replied. "The criminal history my fiancee keeps referring to was a cause of great emotional distress to her, and that fact that her mentor still accepted the victim into her care in spite of that was deeply upsetting."

Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack's eyes all widened.

"What just happened?" Dash whispered.

"I think...Pinkie just mounted a defense." Fluttershy whispered back.

"Okay." Applejack said. "_Pinkie_, of all ponies, just mounted a defense? When's due the first train back to Normal-ville?"

Luna lowered her eyelids. "The defense's arguments is noted. Captain Shining Armor!"

"Whhhaaat?" Shining wailed. He wasn't prosecuting!

"Please give to the official case file so that I may pursue for anything that contradicts Twilight's or Pinkimenia's statements."

Shining levitated a folder over to Luna's grasp, and she pulled a paper out of it and examined.

"Twilight Sparkle, you omitted the part where you came to Canterlot wearing a towel, presumably to cover the glass that resulted from your escaping the scene of the crime, and the part where you acquired a Nightmare Coalition cloak with which to replace the towel."

Twilight huffed. "Is it really _that_ important?"

Luna shrugged. "I dunno! Irregardless, seeing no contradictions, I must ask for everypony to speak anything they have to say, then I will ask the jury for a verdict."

"Remember: The accused attempted to frame her brother for her mistake, and broke the law!" The prosecutor reminded everypony.  
Shining nodded.

"Does anypony else have anything else they wish to say?" Luna questioned.

"We'll support our friend, whatever the verdict is." Fluttershy said.

Twilight's and Shining's parents pursed their lips, undecided.

"So will I." Cadence added.

"Me too!" Shining agreed.

Luna looked around, trying to see if anypony else had anything to say. "All right then. Jury?"

Fancypants spoke up. "The jury requires more time to deliberate."

The jury started murmuring and deliberating. It lasted a while...a long while. Almost six hours. When they finally announced they were ready to pass a verdict, Applejack and Cadence had to wake up Rainbow Dash and Shining.

"Chocolate-covered strawberries!" Shining exclaimed.

"Kiwis!" Dash squeaked, then looked around. "Oh, um, hey! Can we leave yet?"

"Has the jury... reached a verdict?" Luna asked slowly and ominously.

"We have, your honor. We the jury find the accused, Twilight Sparkle..."

Everypony in the room tensed. Dash started biting her hooves.

Twilight's parents both hugged each other extra hard.

Pinkie put her hoof to her lovers' back.

"Not guilty by sudden passion."

Twilight's friends and Pinkie all exclaimed in joy, while her parents let out signs of relief. Shining wiped some sweat from his brow.

"Court adjourned!" Luna slammed her gavel down. Luna climbed hovered down from the judge's chair while everypony else got up ready to go home, but Twilight galloped over in front of Luna.

"Something troubles thou, Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yes, actually." Twilight spoke in a muted tone. "You know I have a wedding coming up? Well, I kinda told Shining if he objected when the minister asked, I'd vaporized him...would...would that make me a repeat offender?"

Luna shifted her eyes, then beckoned Twilight in closer so she could whisper. "In that case..._you warned him_." Luna drew her head away from Twilight's and winked slyly.

Twilight smiled weakly at Luna's mock-playfulness before reuniting with Pinkie and leaving.

* * *

The morning afterwards, in the Ponyville Library...

Twilight and Pinkie's heavy breathing were the only sounds in the bedroom as the sun rose, casting a crimson-orange beam of light into the window.  
A few minutes later, the sunbeams were hitting the sleeping Ponies in the right in the face.

"Rrrriigh..." Pinkie groaned, covering her eyes with her front leg. "Somepony turn the sun off..." She turned over in her sleep, causing an impact on the bed that caused Twilight to wake. Twilight rose slowly, yawning and stretching her body to gauge how much integrity it had today. Carefully not to displace Pinkie too much, she slid out of the covers and sat upright, lowering her back hooves onto the floor...only to step on a drooping corner of the blanket. The bed clothing gave way from under her, causing her to drop tooshie on the floor a little faster then she would've liked. The tugging of the sheets disturbed Pinkie, causing her to roll over to the empty space where Twilight was lying a minute ago. Pinkie's breath started trickling down Twilight's neck.

"Pinkie, it's too early for this." Twilight protested weakly.

"Don't talk to me about what it's too early for." Pinkie snapped before rolling herself back to her side of the bed.

Twilight picked herself up, dusted herself and began trotting down the stairs. She exited the room and made her way to the kitchen, where Spike was hard at work making pancakes.

"Here, let me take care of that..." Twilight volunteered, taking the spatula from Spike's claw with her magic.

Spike raised his claw to protest, but relented and smiled. He went about setting the table up up for three.

Twilight flipped the pancakes over, and, every once in a batch, she levitated some chocolate chips out and threw them into the batter. Once they were all done and steaming out from the plates, Pinkie finally decided to drop down from the bedroom and join them.

"So," Spike said between mouthfuls of pancake. "How's the wedding preparations coming along?"

"Just dandy-wandy-candy!" Twilight said, then turned to Pinkie with a dreamy look in her eyes. "Just think; In a few days, we'll be bound to each other!"

Pinkie chuckled and brushed some of her curly hair out of her face. "Mmh-hm!"

They finished their pancakes, then got dressed to go outside.

"Well, ignoring the fact that you two are getting married, I guess everything's back to normal, right?"

"Actually," Twilight said. "I think Shining's still a mare."

"Oh, yeah, sure, but who cares?" Pinkie asked.

They walked through Ponyville until they got to the market to buy some apples from Applejack.

"Hey...girls?" Spike asked as they tromped across Ponyville's dirt road.

"Yes?" Twilight and Pinkie both answered.

"When are you gonna stop acting like the other?"

Twilight and Pinkie gave awkward stares at Spike, then mischievous smiles to each other.

"Next Thursday."

Spike put a claw to his forehead. "Whew! Thank goodness...Twilight being Pinkie was finally starting to get on my nerves the last few days."

"That's unfortunate. Because that's when we're _both_ gonna act like Pinkie." Pinkie told him.

"Then afterwards, we'll both be me!" Twilight added.

"Then we'll pretend to actually be the ponies we _really_ are..."

"Then go back to being each other."

"Wait, wait, wait," Spike objected. "You actually have a _schedule_ for who acts like who and when?"

"Yup!" They both said.

"That's..that's...I don't even know what is...I can't even see straight anymore." Spike covered his eyes with his claws. The worst part was, the more he thought about, the more it made perfect sense. A Pinkie-like activity that was decided by Twilight-like preparation.

"Try crossing your eyes." Twilight suggested.

"No, no." Pinkie objected. "That's unhealthy."

They reached the marketplace, as said by the signs and tents..but there was huge crowd there. Huger then normal, that is.

"Applejack?" Pinkie questioned, pushing ponies out of her way rushing up to the apples stall. "What's going on?"  
Applejack remained quiet, and just pointed.

"Excuse us."

"Pardon us."

"Coming through!" Spike, Pinkie, and Twilight all said as they maneuvered through the crowd to see the object of their attention.  
Twilight's jaw dropped. Spike scratched his head in confusion. Pinkie regarded it curiously.

It was a wooden post with a paper announcement on it.

_CELESTIA DECLARES "ACT OF CHANGE"_  
_Starting three days from now, the population of the Changeling species will be beginning to immigrate into Equestria as full-fledged citizens._  
_They will be bound by all laws and customs that currently bound ponies, with a new law exclusive to them that will moderate their shapeshifting abilities to prevent them from misusing our hospitality._  
_The Princess request that all ponies use their time to adjust their homes to accommodate the Changelings in the event appropriate homes for each of them cannot be found._  
_The Changelings feed on love, and as such, it is also requested that ponies began making excess reserves of love available for the Changelings to feed on. It may seem unseemly, but would you deny a pony food and water? No? Then don't deny a Changeling some love!  
_

Beneath this, there was a stylized drawing of Celestia holding an anorexic, foal-sized Changeling with tears in it's eyes.

* * *

A hideous sound boom of thunder blasted opened the golden double doors of Celestia's throne.

"Sister, this has gone too far!" Luna exclaimed, charging into in front of the throne and pointing an accusing hoof at Celestia, a copy of the Act of Change document held by the tip of her wings.

"My servant worries for her subjects. Like a good leader should." Celestia said. "I am merely attempting to put them in a position that is good for them."

"Them, perhaps... but have you not considered that perhaps extending a helping hoof may cause your ligament to tear?"

Celestia took in a deep breath and signed. "I have made arrangements with Chrysalis. She tells her subjects what they must now do to accommodate themselves as citizens as we speak...which includes abiding by the new law of 'no replacing pre-existing ponies."

"You will have riots on your hooves." Luna answered. "Nopony will be okay with this."

"Perhaps, but I believe the risk is worth the gain."

"The gain, sister? The gain of giving your enemies a free key into your land? Or perhaps of having a slave race of semi-sentient drones? You're trying to nurture monsters!"

"You would certainly know about nurturing monsters, wouldn't you, Luna?" Celestia snapped, striking a nerve.

Luna's jaw dropped and opened. "That's..that's different." She snarled and turned away, but when she tried to exit the door she bumped into Chrysalis.

"Ah, _Chrissy_!" Luna hissed. "I'm going to warn you: If I find that are you using your brainwashing magic on my sister, I will kill you... and your subjects. Every one of them. Painfully. "

Luna left, leaving Chrysalis alone with Celestia. Chrysalis looked towards the door. "She's serious about that, isn't she?"

"I'm afraid so...but you have nothing to fear, my lovebug, as long you're not using your magic. Now, come to my quarters...I have an itch I want you to scratch."

Chrysalis rubbed her hoof against the top of her head. "Why do we need to be in your quarters for me to scratch you?"

"Because..." Celestia licked her lips hungrily. "This itch...is between my legs."

"I still don't see how that would-ooooh...you don't mean an _actual_ itch, do you?"

"No. No, I do not."

* * *

"So, Twilight's clear!" Cadence exclaimed happily within hers and Shining's house.

"Yup." Shining agreed. Cadence fiddled with her hooves nervously. Shining noticed. "Something wrong, Cadence?"

"Well, it's just...In a way, she tried to frame you for murder."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. That. Well, honestly...in her position...I'd probably do the same to her." Shining answered.

"Hmm." Cadence said.

Shining glared at the ceiling. "Nice paint job you did on the house..."

Cadence 'hmm'ed again.

"Cadence." Shining said slowly. "...do you...want a foal?"

Cadence's eyes widened in surprise. "Umm..." Cadence eyes met Shining's, and she could see something in them. What exactly, she wasn't sure.

"...Not really, no." Cadence answered. "After all those foals I sat for when I was younger, I don't could trust another pony to sit one of my own."

"Cadence, can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course."

"I don't really want one either."

Cadence rested her head on Shining's shoulder, and let out a content sign.

"Shining?...I reserve the right to change my mind."

"Okay..."

The two shared a quiet moment.

Cadence tilted her neck over Shining Armor's shoulder and looked out the window. "Although...knowing Twilight's expecting...it's making me think about...about _my_ mom..."

Shining furrowed 'her' eyebrows. "You know, I don't I've met your mother."

Cadence rolled her eyes teasingly. "Oh, I think you have, actually..."

* * *

In the Carousel Boutique, sometime in the afternoon...

"I'm so glad you came here today, Rainbow Dash..." Rarity thanked her friend, a slight seductive edge in her voice.

"No...sweat." Rainbow Dash choked out.

"I apologize again for not being there for Twilight Sparkle...I do so hope she herself can forgive me..." Rarity worked her front legs up and down, tugging harder on the object in her grasp.

"She said she..._understood_!" Dash gasped for air.

"By the way, what do you think about this 'Act of Change' I keep hearing so much about? Personally, I'd like to see more about this alleged moderation law before passing judgement...Oh, how crude of me...I forgot you're not supposed ask a pony something when they have their mouth full..."

"Heh...I...gueeess."

"Rainbow Dash...most ponies would be unconscious by now, if not pleading. What _is_ your secret?"

"In the atmosphere, the air gets..._urrk!_ -thinner the higher you go...I guess you could say...I have practice."

"_Mmm_...how very nice..." Rarity purred, before using her unicorn magic to tug the blue silk on Dash's neck tighter.

* * *

**Author's Notes for 'The Trial'**

**The plot thickens...again!  
**

**So, some explanations.**

**I tried to address a complaint from one of the reviews and tried to keep a steady mood and tone, while keeping up some humorous exchanges that ran 'under' it. Or at the very least, making the moodswings *_hit*_ just a liiittle less hard. I would like to thank the reviewer -Dragonkey258- for taking the time to point out this flaw in my story.  
**

**And another reviewer, -petiteprincess- said they imagined Shining passing out (again) from the news Twilight was pregnant...which I didn't originally _have_ in the first version of this chapter, but that was just so flipping' brilliant I just HAD to work it in somehow. Thanks for implanting that idea in my head!  
**

**(Note: I use the word 'They' to avoid making assumptions about gender.)  
**

**You see that 'Countdown to Componydium' I put in the description? 'Componydium' is a fic I will be releasing after the 'Countdown' is finished.  
**

**The Countdown is as follows in chronological order:  
**

** Her Violet Lullaby  
**

**(This Fic)****A Chink In The Armor  
**

**Eviler Then Thou (Not yet released at time of writing.)  
**

**I'm trying to make it so that you don't HAVE to read the others to be able to understand any of the other ones, but so that it adds a little somethin' if you do. Mind you, it's supposed to subtle, but it can be just a bit TOO subtle at times.  
**

**Oh, yeah. Celestia's lips tasting like white roses? That's symbolic. One meaning of white roses is 'sympathy'. Symbolism. Symbolism. _Symbollllllissssm_!  
**

**And...there is one pop culture reference in this chapter.  
**


	7. The Politics

**Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.**

**By Darkryt Orbinautz:**

**A Chink In The Armor**

**Chapter 7**

**The Politics  
**

* * *

"Oooh..." Rarity moaned, admiring Dash's stamina and enhanced breathing ability. "Yes, that's it...gasp for air...choke. Choke for me."

There was a thumping noise that caused Rainbow to react.

"Rare_-ity_!" Dash gasped again.

"Yes, yes, that's it!"

"_No_!" Dash growled. She raised her front hooves to the silk and attempted to wrest it off her neck.

"Oh..." Rarity signed, disappointed. "You're exhausted now, Dash? Whatever happened to your tough pony exterior?"

"I'm not -_hluck_- exhausted!" Dash retorted (though this was slowly turning into a lie). "It's just-"

Rarity removed her hooves from the silk and lifted it up with her magic, causing it to suspend Dash in the air, her rear legs dropping lazily. "What?"

"There's...somepony-at the door!"

"OH!" Rarity exclaimed, her magic fading and causing Rainbow to drop to the ground with a thump. "Hide the silk!" She instructed, dashing towards the door before Dash could say anything in response.

She pulled the door open with her magic to be greeted by a very angry-looking Twilight Sparkle and a concerned-looking Pinkie. "You!" Twilight pointed at unicorn fellow. "Do you know about the Act?"

"The one with the Changelings?"

"Yes!" Twilight snarled, hissed and snorted. "Unbelievable! Un-_bucking_-believable! How could the Princess...do that? HOW, RARITY, HOW?"

Rarity flubbed her lips. "My apologies, Twilight, darling, but I haven't the foggiest how."

Twilight's eye twitched. "It's Chrysalis! I know it is!" She started ranting, sounding like an angry version of Pinkie's trademark motormouth. "She's using her magic on the Princess! I'll kill her! I'll get away with it this time, too! I'll- You know what? I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do. That'd make you an accessory. Why is Rainbow Dash trying to pound that blue silk into her chest?"

Pinkie poked her head over Twilight's shoulder, and Rarity looked backwards to see that Rainbow Dash was trying to stuff the silk into her bare chest. The idea being that it would camouflage against her coat and seemingly disappear. It was almost a good idea, actually, as hers and the silks coloration were similar enough, but Dash's coat wasn't translucent.

"Uh..." Dash drawled. Rarity shifted her eyes about the room.

"Oh, I know!" Twilight interjected. "Dash isn't trying to stuff it into her! It's _coming out_ of her, isn't it?"

Rarity and Dash both blanched. Twilight acting like Pinkie was going to take some getting used to.

"...Yes." Rarity answered blankly. "Now, if you don't mind, me and Rainbow Dash were-"

"Actually, Rarity, I am starting to get..." Dash curled the silk in her hooves and examined drably, pausing as to what to say. "Bored."

Rarity's tail lowered disappointingly. "Oh, all right then..."

"Don't worry, Rare, I just need a break, is all." Dash winked.

"We were going to go to the mall..." Pinkie looked at Twilight, who was still heaving and fuming. "But I think keeping Twilight from doing something stupid is more important at this point."

Dash and Rarity agreed, following the two pink ponies out the door.

"So, seriously, what's this 'plan' you mentioned?" Rarity questioned as the four of them trotted out from the Boutique.

"I'm going to make Spike do it." Twilight answered.

Everypony stopped and stared.

"...I'm still working on it, okay?"

* * *

Shining Armor and Cadence, having rested from the exhausting stress of Twilight's tria yesterday, quit nuzzling each other, got up out of bed, and made themselves presentable to the Canterlot public. (Though Shining was left with a cowlick in his mane).

When they got out the door of their house, they saw everypony rushing towards the castle.

"What's going on?" Shining asked a passerby after reaching his leg over and pulling him aside.

"You're the Captain of The Guard! You should know what's going on!" The passerby exclaimed before agitatedly wriggling out of Shining's grasp.

"Uh, Shining?" Cadence tapped Shining on the shoulder and pointed upwards. Drifting his gaze upwards, Shining saw the black Changelings fluttering their green wings across the sky.

"What? The Princess needs to know about this!" Shining exclaimed. Cadence lifted herself into the air and grabbed Shining to carry him over to the outside balcony of the castle where Princess Celestia made all her important announcements, avoiding Changelings along the way.

There on the balcony, examined by crowds of ponies on the ground and Changelings in the air, were Celestia and Chrysalis, a banner showing the two royalties circling each other waving behind them.

"Attention, subjects!" The both of them announced, quieting down any muttering that either species would be inclined to partake in.

"You may be aware of an Act of Change that will be taking place soon, where the Changelings will integrated into Equestria as full-fledged citizens." Celestia announced.

The pony crowd started murmuring, despite Celestia's efforts.

"To make this change easier- for all of us- Celestia and myself will be...trading places." Chrysalis said. Then they both grabbed their respective crowns with their hooves, lifted them up and put them on the others' head. Chrysalis' four orb-tipped crown landing on Celestia's head anc Celestia's star-studded diadem landing on Chrysalis'.

Their eyes both widened at the feelings of their new hats.

"_How,_" Celestia thought, "_Does she ever remember being a ruler with such a light crown?_" She raised her hoof to feel the crown. "_I can barely tell it's on my head!_"

"_How,_" Chrysalis thought, "_Does her blood keep circulating to her brain with such a heavy crown?_" Chrysalis raised her hoof to adjust the diadem. "_I can barely feel my head with this thing on it!_"

The two realized both their subjects were watching them with awkward stares at the prolonged time they were taking to adjust the others' crown. They cleared their throats.

Celestia held her hoof out. "I will be departing with the Changelings to rule them for a time. Until then, you will all follow Chrysalis' instruction."

"I will be ruling these ponies whilst Celestia is away." Chrysalis told her Changelings. "You are to follow her instructions until I say otherwise."

"To me, my Changelings!" Celestia announced, then flew up into the air to depart for the Changelings home.

It was actually quite reassuring to the ponies to know, by their flustered expressions, that the Changelings found this as strange as they did. The Changelings then began fluttering after Celestia.

Cadence's jaw opened and closed, at loss for words, and her surprise caused her to drop Shining from her hooves, causing him to the land on the ground with legs splayed. "I don't...I will not stand for this!" Cadence insisted. She flew up down to the balcony and locked eyes with Chrysalis. "I will not do anything you say, you disgusting...leech!"

Chrysalis raised her hoof to remind Cadence of Celestia's order, but seeing all the ponies looking at her expectantly caused her to change her mind. "You know what, Cadence? That is perfectly understandably, after all that I have done to you. You may continue on your day." Chrysalis then turned and left, leaving a shocked Cadence behind, just floating there like an idiot.

The crowd of Ponies dispersed, leaving Shining creaking in pain on the ground while Cadence continued floating, unable to decide what to think of Chrysalis' behavior.

"Wait!" Shining announced, futility attempting to raise his broken hoof into the air.

"What?" Cadence barked.

"I need to go the hospital!"

* * *

Flying oh so far away, to the Changelings home and away from her precious Canterlot, Celestia turned to the Changelings that were temporialty hers. "So, my Changelings, when we first arrive, what shall we do?"

One Changeling growled. Another hissed. Then more of them growled and hissed.

Celestia paused, then clapped her front hooves together. "Right! First up, pony-to-Changeling language class!"

* * *

Back inside the Castle, Chrysalis clipped-clopped imperiously through the decorated halls, tapestries greeting her at every corner and paintings of extended royal family members adoring the walls.

She made her way back to the throne, the doors hanging loosely open. "Now," Chrysalis wonder out loud, "Who could be in there?"

Peeking inside and pushing the door open with a squeak, greeted with the sight of Luna sitting on the throne in an awkward position. Rather on then her haunches, she was on her butt, her back resting against the throne and her bottom legs sticking out. Like that weird pony Lyra from Ponyville.

"Our sister may have told our subjects to obey thou, but we will not let thou sit in her throne." Luna said.

Chrysalis frowned and narrowed her eyes. "So?"

"Um," the sound of a hoof against a door sounded from behind. "I, it..Chrysalis? _Princess_ Chrysalis?"

Chrysalis whipped around to see a white male pony in a red British coat, brown mustache on his lip, with a bunch of parchments in his other hoof.

"What?" Chrysalis demanded.

"The...royal business, your majesty." he said, hoofing over the documents.

"Legislation, taxes...hospital specific anti-ninja precautions? !" Chrysalis exclaimed. "What does that even mean?"

Behind her, Chrysalis heard an causal whistle that was no doubt made by pony lips. "What are you implying, Luna?"

"We art implying that we possess the knowledge needed to address these documents and their complaints, whilst thou dost not."

Chrysalis shut her eyes tight in frustration. Much as she might try to deny it, Luna was right. She had no idea what the ponies behind theses papers wanted, while Luna did. "What do you want me to do?"

"Go to Ponyville and submit thyself to Twilight's supervision-age 'til our sister's return." Luna instructed.

Chrysalis balked. Go to Ponyville and be 'supervised' be her would-be murderer...or stay here and try to address the complaints.

"Let me see another one of these..." Chrysalis muttered, shuffling through the scrolls.

_To Princess Celestia_

_Enclosed is a letter that we think explains why Sheep in Equestria are underrepresented in the current government._

"Sheep live in Equestria! ?" Chrysalis exclaimed. Luna chuckled behind her.

"Luna?...You have a deal." Chrysalis dropped the papers to the ground and trotted out the room, leaving Luna to pick them and put them back in order.

"Oh, Sister..." Luna lamented. "We told thou to grant thy hospital's grant!"

The mustachio pony put a hoof to his chin in thought at Luna's remark. Perhaps those Nightmare Coalition ponies were on to something.

* * *

Twilight, Rarity, Dash, Spike and Pinkie all trotted as a group down Ponyville's well-trodden streets, each and every pony tense and on edge, expecting Twilight to lose her temper and do something that would land in jail for certain. She got off easy once, and they were fairly confident she wouldn't so lucky a second time.

"Twilight, I know the Act is upsetting..." Rarity began softly, trying to comfort her friend, but said friend wasn't reciprocating the effort.

"IT"S INFURIATING! THESE THING BLOW UP CANTERLOT, AND SHE LETS THEM IN JUST LIKE THAT? How...is that logical? How can there be any, reasonable excuse for this that doesn't boil down to Celestia bending over backwards for her love slave? SHE'S SUPPOSED TO BE HER SLAVE, RIGHT?"

"Right!" A regal voice answered. The five of them looked upwards to Celestia wearing her diadem drifting down towards them on her wings. All of them but Twilight bowed instantly.

"Princess! What are you doing here?" The Faithful Student exclaimed.

Celestia put a hoof to her mouth coyly and giggled. "What? I can't make a surprise visit to my most faithful student?"

"Well, you are the Princess." Dash reminded her.

"True, true! How about some coffee?" Celestia asked. Everypony (plus Spike) all turned towards each other and came to the conclusion that this would be an ideal opportunity for Twilight to talk to the Princess about the Act.

Making their way to the nearest cafeteria, they sat down on a table outside.

"I'll place our order. Who wants what?" Rarity questioned.

"Mocha."

"Latte."

"Tea."

"Frappe."

"Mocha."

"Do they have ground sapphire?"

Twilight looked at Celestia, who had ordered the tea, in bewilderment.

Rarity left and came back with two drink trays balanced on her back, one of them being only-half-full capictiy, since they were four-drink trays and six of them.

Rarity set about dispensing the drinks, which, to Spike's disappointment, did not includ ground sapphire, but Rarity managed to get him some crush emerald, which was comforting.

"Any pasties?" Rarity asked.

"Hang on..." Twilight said, her eyes unfaltering, staying locked on Celestia.

Celestia lifted her mug with her hooves and slurped up in her tea in a very un-princess like manner. Rarity held too much respect for her personal to critize her on this.

"Celestia hates tea." Twilight said, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Uh, Twilight?" Dash asked. "She just chugged it. How can you say-"

Seeing she'd been found out, a burst of green flame enveloped 'Celestia' and Chrysalis sat in her place once the fires had dissipated.

"What are you doing here, Chrysalis?" Twilight asked, keeping her temper, but crossing her front legs.

"Me and Celestia did a little...exchange." Chrysalis said cryptically. "She is currently teaching my subjects how to behave in your kingdom for when they come over. I was supposed to ingratiate myself to her subjects, but I found myself...lacking."

"Lacking?" Rarity questioned. "How?"

"...Sheep live in Equestria?" Chrysalis questioned, scratching her head with her hoof.

Everypony (plus Spike) nodded and made an 'AAAhhh...' sound.

Twilight snarled and slammed her hoof on the table, causing her cup to topple over and spill it's contents. "Well, Chrysalis? _Ingratiate_ yourself!"

Chrysalis gently let her cup down from her hooves and set it on the table. "Twilight Sparkle...allow me to apologize for the grief I have caused you."

Twilight's eyes shot wide open. She wasn't expecting that.

"In all honesty, Twilight Sparkle, trying to brainwash Shining Armor was the most ridiculous thing I've done. Why go through all trouble to kidnap his wife and replace her when Celestia is more then willing to give me her love out of her own free will?" Chrysalis giggled, crossed her her hooves under her chin, and got a dreamy look in her eyes. "And what a love it is..."

"Stop! Stop!" Twilight demanded, burying her head in her arms. "I do_ not_ want to hear what Celestia does to her love slaves in the bedroom!"

"Are you sure?" Chrysalis asked politely. "I'm sure it can give you and Pinkie a few ideas to try-"

"STO-O-O-O-O-O-OP!" Twilight whined, banging the side of her head against the table in an effort to deafen her ear from the de-painting of her holy mentor as anything less then a perfect virgin goddess.

"_Oooowh_!" Chrysalis whined, sensing she was causing Twilight distress. She started flying and scooped up Twilight's cheeks into her hooves and lifted her into the air. "Whatever can I do to make it up to you?"

"First," Twilight squeaked, her cheeks smushed by Chrysalis' princess-sized hooves. "Put me down. Second, don't ever talk to me in that comforting of a voice again...it's unsettling."

"Sorry!" Chrysalis said, obliging Twilight's request and dropping her down to the ground.

Twilight rubbed her sore tuchis from the impact, then looked over at Pinkie. "Come on, Pinkie...I need to start thinking about some things..."

"Of course, dear." Pinkie said, taking Spike with her as she left.

"Err, say, Chrysalis?" Rarity questioned, resting her elbow (knee) on the table. "While Twilight respects Celestia too much to hear such things...I'm sure Rainbow Dash and I would love to try out a few of her tricks, yes?"

Dash nodded. "Yeah! You up for it?"

Chrysalis smirked naughtily. "On one condition..."

"What?"

"You tell me something you do for me and Celestia to try in return."

"Deal!" Dash said, reaching her hoof out for Chrysalis to shake.

* * *

Shining, bound to new crutches and wearing a ribbrace around 'her' well, ribs, cursing the poor manners of the nurse that had operated on him, trotted back into his house and locked the door behind 'her'. The first thing 'she' noticed was that Cadence couldn't be seen immediately. "Cadence?" He called out in concern. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah..." Cadence call back somewhat moodily. "In the bedroom..."

Shining made his way there to see Cadence sitting on her haunches, a photograph in her hoof. "What'cha got there?" Shining questioned, jumping beside her.

"A picture of our wedding day..."

"Oh, how nice!" Shining exclaimed, smiling at the memories. "Best day of my life!"

"Shining..." Cadence said slowly. "This one was taken before the Queen was found out."

Shining gritted 'her' teeth, realizing he may have stuck in 'her' hoof in 'her' mouth. "Ooooh...you want to talk about it?"

"Yes." Cadence answered, getting off the bed and flapping her wings to displace the dust in the room. "But not to you."  
Shining frowned, noticing his wife was cleaning the room. She cleaned for two reason: (A) Stuff was filthy and needed to be clean. (B) She was upset. He was going to go with his gut that it was B.

"Cadence, sweetie, I don't know what's making you so upset, so...why don't you tell me?"

Cadence took in a deep breath and huffed. "Shining...how much do you actually remember from our wedding day before Chrysalis was found out?"

Shining moved his hoof to answer, but found that none came to him. "...Nothing, really."

"Which is why I can't talk to you about this." Cadence said dejectedly. "There's only one pony I know that can relate to this..."

Cadence left the bedroom, leaving Shining alone. The Captain wondered what Celestia was up to.

* * *

"Throom kar...e-nah...f'oolah...k'nish!" Celesta chanted. Around her, the semi-see-through walls of a Changelings structure let what little sunlight there was in the room. In front of her, a lookalike of Fancypants with a dark green coat, lime-colored monocle, and black hair stood. A Changeling that had taken pony form to communicate with her.

"You just said 'you're not allowed to touch my grandmother's antique monkey'." The Fancypants-shaped Changeling told her.

"Oh...agh!" Celestia cried out in frustration of her inability to master a Changeling language.

"Tell you what." The fake Fancy told her. "I'll just go make everyone turn into a pony as well, hmm?"

"That...would seem to be the way to go, at this point." Celestia admitted, hanging her head in defeat. She lifted back up. "I should probably check on Chrysalis...I'm sure somepony will have tried to lynched her by now."

Celestia's horn turned aglow with her magic, which slowly drifted off her horn and into the air, turning into a window of magic that showed Chrysalis.

"And then you-" Chrysalis stopped mid-sentence when she saw Celestia through the window. "Oh, Celly! Hi! I was just exchanging...techniques with some ponies I think you might reconginze."

"Hi!" Rainbow Dash said, poking herself into the window's vision.

"Hm, well, isn't that nice?" Celestia mused. "Anyway, I wanted to make you were doing okay on your end. Right now, I am trying to learn the Changeling tongue. Has everypony accepted you?"

Chrysalis flushed and rubbed the back of her head. "Uh...well..."

"Well?" Celestia growled, not amused by the lack of information Chrysalis' answer.

"I, uh...made a deal with Luna that I stay here and be watched by Twilight like a hawk while she dealt with your royal affairs."

Celestia's face contorted in sternness.

"Uh, Chrysalis?" Rarity's voice said behind the window. "If Twilight's supposed to be supervising you, then shouldn't you be where she is?"

Chrysalis put her hooves to her mouth and gasped. "OMG! You're right!"

"Chrysalis!" Celestia demanded before the Changeling could speed away. "You are going to go back to the castle and deal with the royal business!"

"But Celly!" Chrysalis whined. "I don't know what to _doooo_!"

"You're acting in my place! Ask Twilight for help...and above all else, make sure Luna is not given free reign over my subjects! While I lover her dearly, she tends to stick with outdated laws..."

Chrysalis started blankly through the window.

"GO!"

Chrysalis sped off out of sight, and the magic window dematerialized.

Celestia then turned back towards Fake Fancypants. "I cannot begin to imagine the damage Luna's methods will have caused in the short time she has been left unchecked."

"Hmm." The Changeling nodded.

Meanwhile in Canterlot, business were more productive then ever.

* * *

Rarity and Rainbow waved Chrysalis off as she left, then Rarity put her hooves in her head and exclaimed in dispair, a horrid realizatiing dawning on her.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "What's bothering you, Rare?"

"Oh, Dash, it's awful!" Rarity said. "We know how Twilight feels about Celestia, and we talked to Chrysalis about their bed-life behind her back!"

Dash wrapped her hoof around Rarity comfortingly. "Listen, Rarity: There is _absolutely no need_ for Twilight to know about this."

"How can you say that, Dash? We...we went behind Twilight's back!"

"Just...don't bring it up. Not unless Twilight very specifcally asks us 'Did you exchange bedroom tricks with Chrysalis?' ...I don't see why Twilight would ever asks us that."

"I...suppose you have a point...but it just occurs to me how atroictes our bed-life...is! I can't get hot unless there's somepony choking! Choking, Dash!"

Dash pattedd Rarity's back as the unicorn threw her head into Dash's shoulders. "Listen, Rarity, everypony likes weird stuff."

"No they don't!" Rarity objected. "I'm a freak!"

"Twilight's a masochist. Does that make you feel better?"

Rarity looked up at Dash. "Yes, actually...wait, how do you know that?"

"Ever since they came out, Pinkie uses me when she wants to vent." Dash explained. "She always goes on about how she doesn't like hurting Twilight, but it's the only thing that gets her revving-"

Rarity cut her off. "Dash, I think I could have gone on without knowing that particular bit.

* * *

Pinkie's and Spike's heads turned back and forth as Twilight paced back and forth through the room.

"I don't believe it." Twilight muttered to herself, not for the first time. "She...apologized. That _monster_ apologized!"

"Well, maybe she's not a monster anymore!" Spike exclaimed, throwing his claws into the air. "I mean, Celestia's still keeping her around, right?"

Twilight breathed in and out heavily. "Celestia is doing that, yes..."

There was knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Twilight asked in sing-song.

Chrysalis burst in through the door, not even waiting to be given permission and started ranting. "Twilight Sparkle! I need your help with something!" Chrysalis then explained the events that had led to how she got there. "I made a deal with Luna that you would make sure I didn't do anything bad while she dealt with buracry but then Celestia told me to ask you for help and go back to the castle before Luna did something and now I need you to come with me to the castle and pretend you're just supervising me while Luna works but actually be working under Luna's nose without letting her know that the deal's off!" Having expelled that many words in one breath, Chrysalis began panting.

Spike couldn't keep track of what she said, but Twilight, with her lessons from talking to Pinkie, could. "Chrysalis? Wouldn't it be..." The unicorn paused. "Simpler to just _explain_ to Luna what happened?"

Chrysalis' eyes shrunk. "Oh...I suppose it would, wouldn't it?"

Twilght shook her head. "Come on, Spike! Chrysalis needs help with politics, and I want a witness if she's up to something."  
Spike nodded and bounced along until he was on Twilight's back. Twilight, Chrysalis and Spike all left, closing the door behind them.

Pinkie was about to trot away, maybe bake herself her own cake, when she heard a knock on the door. She opened to be greeted by the sight of Cadence."Oh, Cadence! What can I do for you?"

"Is Twilight home?" Cadence, peering into the library house.

"You just missed her." Pinkie explained. "Head for the castle. She should be there."

"Okay, thanks!" Cadence said, turning away and flying off for that destination.

* * *

Twilight, with Spike on her back, followed behind Chrysalis into the royal chambers. There, they found Luna (literally) neck deep in scrolls and parchments, an abacus, a calculator, and other mathematical tools levitated in her magic.

Twilight and Chrysalis looked at each other awkwardly before casting their gazes back on Luna. Twilight cleared her throat for attention. "Er, Princess Luna? Do you need some help?"

Luna seemed to not hear her, seemingly entranced by the contents of the scroll she was currently reading.

"Luna?" Twilight said again. "Luna? LUNA!"

"Gah!" Luna exclaimed, Twilight's shout disrupting her concentration so that all the math tools fell to the ground, conking Luna on the head and making her fall, so that she was completely covered in parchment. "What are thoust doing here, Twilight Sparkle?"

"Celestia wasn't...comfortable with what was going on." Twilight added a dirty look at Chrysalis in order to help convey her meaning to Luna. "So I'm gonna try to help you with all this!" Twilight gestured to the mess of papers.

"Ah...if thoust so wishes. Here, takeeth up the issues on theses scrolls." Luna instructed, levitated a selection of parchments out and over to Twilight.  
Chrysalis was surprised at the way Twilight threw herself into the task. She got right into it, bossing Spike around, going over with Luna on some of the more crazy ideas that had been suggest by townsfolk, bossing Spike around, calculating the costs and resulting taxes from construction of specific buildings, and bossing Spike around.

It was really quite something the way Twilight and Luna work together so effectively, seeing as it was the other Princess that was Twilight's mentor.

"Dear Princesses, I request we make arrangements for a mass-produced version of Pinkie's party cannon..." Twilight read out loud.

"Keep it on reserve. Ask Pinkie about it." Luna responded before reading something herself. "Dear Princesses, I, Photo Finish, humbly request you zend the Fashion Police after how you zay, Filth-ee Rich of Ponyville." Luna tossed the scroll over her shoulder to Twilight. "Burn it."

Twilight took the scroll and put it to her horn, a spark coming off her horn that ignited the paper and turned it to ashes.

"Dear Princess Luna..." Twilight stopped reading the scroll, her eyes drifting towards Chrysalis. "Err..." Twilight hoofed the scroll over to Luna, who read it silently.

"Er, yes...put it on hold." Luna said, giving Twilight back the scroll. Chrysalis, sensing she was somehow involved on the letter, shifted uneasily.

"...Princess Luna?" Twilight said as they swam through the pile of scrolls.

"Yes, Twilight Sparkle?"

"Can I...talk to you? About the Act?"

"Oh...we told our sister that wasn't a good idea." Luna snorted, recalling Celestia's words to her. "Continue."

Twilight looked at a document, then her leg seemingly gave out and dropped. "I...I always thought Princess Celestia, my mentor...knew everything. But now...now that she's trying to give these monsters a place to live..."

"I can hear you!" Chrysalis objected.

"Silence!" Luna demanded. "Go on, Twilight."

Twilight took in a deep breath and signed. "Now that she's trying to do something nice for _this_ monster" Twilight pointed at Chrysalis. "that almost cost me my friends and brother, I can't help but wonder...does she know _anything_?"

Luna signed. "Twilight Sparkle...there is something you should know about our sister...she is _very_ big on forgiveness. She blames Discord for my corruption into Nightmare Moon."

Twilight chuckled sheepishly. "I...kinda thought that too...after seeing Discord's magic on my friends."

Now it was Luna's turn to take in a deep breath. "My corruption into Nightmare Moon was entirely the fault of my own inability to contain my jealously. Every time I tell Celestia this, she tells me that it's Discord's lingering magic making me think that."

Twilight 'hmm'ed and resumed working on the documents. Eventually, everything that could be sorted out today was and the pile of papers were only enough to bury a pony up to their ankles, rather then their neck.

"We thank thee's service, Twilight Sparkle. It made our work easier." Luna said. "And thou, Spike." Then she got up onto all fours. "We must raise the moon now."

Luna left through the double doors, leaving Twilight and Spike alone with Chrysalis.

Twilight shot Chrysalis a death glare. Spike fiddled his claws nervously, and Chrysalis shifted her hoof in the same manner.

A polite voice came squeaking through the doors, "Twilight, are you in here?...Oh." Cadence peered her head through the door and saw Chrysalis.

"Hello...Chrysalis."

"Hi." Chrysalis said awkardly.

Here she was. In a room alone with two ponies and a dragon, and those ponies being the most unwilling ones to accept her new status.  
The room was enveloped in moonlight, causing Chrysalis to get even more anxious. Her legs tensed while Cadence and Twilight continued to glare and glower at her. The crime rate was higher at night.

Chrysalis felt a disruption in the air, she thought Cadence was moving to attack, so she swerved around, horn alight in anticipation, only to see Luna and a green slime covered Celestia standing the door.

"Oh! Celly!" Chrysalis exclaimed, smacking her horn with her hoof to snuff out the magic fire on it before Celestia got the wrong idea. "What are you doing back so early?"

"And why are you covered in slime?" Twilight asked.

"It was the Changelings!" Celestia announced perkily with a smile, clopping her hooves up and down in glee. "I think it means they're starting to like me!" Celestia gestured to Luna. "However...there is something that must be discussed. Spike, would you leave?"

Spike obliged, skipping on his talons out of the room. Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Twilight and Chrysalis was now the rooms' occupancy.

"I'll go with him." Chrysalis offered quickly, taking a step towards the door.

"Stay." Celestia barked at her. Like an obedient, snake-eyed puppy, Chrysalis obeyed, parking herself down on her haunches.

Everypony just said nothing for a little while, eventually causing Luna to get frustrated.

"All right!" The Dark Princess shouted. Holding her hoof. "Something has become clear to us, and do thoust all know what it is? That between Celestia's adoption of Chrysalis, Twilight's attempted murder of Chrysalis, the Act of Change, Cadence's defiance of Chrysalis after Celestia said for the ponies to obey her, and what Twilight has confided to us, it's quite obvious that we all..." Luna paused.

"Need...to _talk_."

* * *

**Author's Notes For 'The Politics' **

**'Princess Celestia Hates Tea' reference FTW.**

**Right, so...I was gonna make more happen in this chapter, but _you-know-who-are_ said I was trying to make _too much_ happen in one chapter...which, you know, I can see that. I've had that happen to my stories before.  
**

**Another thing...I told myself I wouldn't be like all the other fanfiction writers and let my story snowball out of control into something bigger then it was supposed to be. Yet, exactly that happened. We were supposed to have been at the wedding, like, three chapters ago!  
**

**Also, I'm fairly certain I need to go back and fix Luna's speech patterns for previous chapters.  
**

**...Something was up with the site while I was finishing the last edit of this chapter. There may be more misspellings and such here then normal due to that.  
**


	8. The Cheat

**Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.**

**By Darkryt Orbinautz:**

**A Chink In The Armor**

**Chapter 8**

**The Cheat**

* * *

Celestia, Chrysalis, Cadence, Luna, and Twilight continued standing in the room in a circle,. Everypony accepted- everypony knew- that Luna was right. They needed to talk. But nopony wanted to take the initiative and actually say anything.

"...Twilight Sparkle." Luna said. "You and I will talk first."

Twilight nodded and approached Luna, forming a line within the circle. Luna wrapped her legs around Twilight's shoulders. "Twilight, promise you will let Chrysalis see your child."

"_What?_"

"_What?_" Cadence repeated.

"Huh?" Chrysalis added.

Even Celestia was willing to admit that was a bit strange.

"Please, Twilight Sparkle." Luna pleaded. "You almost tried to kill her to keep her from hurting your foal. She almost cost you everything. You are well within your right to be angry...but you must not, under any circumstances, let your anger turn your foal into a weapon for your hate. Continue on this path, and you will do exactly that."

Twilight bit her lip. "But I..."

"Twilight Sparkle, you may find this hard to 'swallow' as the 'cool' ponies say, but I had a foal of my own before turning into Nightmare Moon, and it did not hurt me to know that my foal was without me during my exile. Celestia was there to protect her, to feed her, to raise her...and...when I came back, I... I saw that she was _so much better_ off for-for not having me around. _That_ hurt. Don't let that happen to your child, Twilight. Don't let her be better off without you."

Twilight was at a loss for words, so she just nodded.

"I won't..." she managed to choke out after some time.

Luna shifted her gaze between the other ponies in the room. "Chrysalis...talk to Twilight and Cadence."

Luna retreated back into the 'outside' circle, standing beside her sister while Chrysalis, Cadence and Twilight stood in a triangle.

"...I'm sorry." Chrysalis droned in her de-synched voices. "I almost ruined your lives...I have scarred you, and for that can be no forgiveness...and I hope your scars will heal. I have been shown the errors of my ways by Celestia. I will do nothing that would cost me my relationship with her. She's so...good." Chrysalis smiled and Celestia gave her a naughty wink.

Cadence and Twilight continued to glare, but Cadence' softened hers.

"and..." Chrysalis added. "I Pinkie Pie Promise that I will not hurt your husband...or your foal."

Cadence smiled. "Well, I'll accept that. You can't ever break a Pinkie Promise."

Cadence floated into the air on her wings so that she could stare Chrysalis at eye-level. "EEEEEVEEER!"

Chrysalis smiled nervously. "Not that I'm trying to get out of it or anything, but...what happens if you _do_ break it?"

Cadence and Twilight shivered.

"Things." Cadence explained.

Chrysalis had to ask. "What kind of things?"

"Terrible, terrible, soul-rending things that will make your worst nightmares seem like the trivial fears of a small child." Twilight clarified.

Chrysalis' mouth curled into an 'o' and rethought the wisdom in her commitment... "Perhaps I should've just sworn a oath in blood..." After all, breaking a blood oath just gives Ponies _permissio_n to kill her. It didn't make..._'THINGS'._

Twilight turned her head and huffed. "I still don't forgive you...but if you're willing to make a Pinkie Promise, I guess now I have to give you a chance."

"Excellent!" Luna exclaimed. "Now, we want Twilight and Celestia to take a turn."

Cadence spoke up. "Actually...I want to talk to Aunt Celestia."

Luna nodded. "Of course."

Chrysalis and Twilight stepped back into the outside circle while Celestia stepped in.

"What's wrong, my niece?" Celestia lowered her neck.

Cadence looked up at Celestia, and in Cadence's eyes, there was hurt. "Why? Why couldn't you tell that there was something wrong when Chrysalis replaced me? Shining Armor was brainwashed, so anything he noticed Chrysalis' magic made him forget. Luna was too focused on trying to guard the city to pay any attention, so that's her excuse. But you...you were there every moment, every step. On my wedding, and on my life. Why...was Twilight, who hadn't seen me in more then a decade, the only one to see anything wrong?"

Chrysalis, Twilight, and Luna all covered their mouths with their hooves.

"OW!"

Everypony whipped around to see what happened.

"Sorry." Chrysalis said, taking her hoof out her mouth. "I, uh...stuck my hoove too far into my mouth and bit it by accident."

Everypony rolled their eyes.

Celestia resumed her attention on Cadence. "I'm sorry, Cadence...I thought that 'your' behavior was the result of nerves and stress...weddings are very stressful events. I'm sorry that my love has gone out to a (non-)pony that you have every reason to resent...and I'm sorry that I could not defend you." Celestia touch a hoof to Cadence's head comfortingly. "But that must now all be put into the past now, my niece, for a brighter future-"

Cadence swatted Celestia's hoof off her. "Don't give me that horse swill. 'Put that in the past now...' you just don't' have any defense then 'I love her, deal with it.', do you?" Cadence angrily stomped out the room.

Celestia signed, closed her eyes and turned towards Twilight. "Twilight, you and Cadence must let your scars heal. The Changelings live in poverty, and we have land for them. Land that they can live in."

Twilight lowered her eyes to the ground. "True..." she trotted towards the door and put her hoof on the knob, then stopped and turned around with an angry glance at Celestia.

"Princess Celestia?...Me and Cadence can't 'let' our scars heal. You know why, Princess? Because they _can't._ _Wounds_ heal. Scars just...fade." the steel in her voice seemed to disappear at the last word.

Celestia frowned. Luna gave her a look that seemed kinda like an ocular 'I told you so'.

Chrysalis pursed her lips. "...Comfort sex?" she asked somewhat hopefully.

Celestia looked out the window at the moon, then looked at Chrysalis and did a shrugpony.

"Eh, why not?"

"Yay!" Chrysalis cheered.

at Chrysalis' enthusiasm for being molested, Luna rolled her eyes.

* * *

In the Carousel Boutique, Rainbow Dash stood there nervously, the sounds of fabrics shifting behind the changing room.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Rare..."

"Oh, but I must!" Rarity called from behind the doors. "You were so willing to let me choke you-to put your life in my hooves! It would be remiss of me, the Element of Generosity, not to repay you. Besides, when else are we going to try out Celestia's...techniques?"

"I don't know..." Dash bashfully admitted. "A nightclub?"

Rarity gagged. "Ughh! Far too...disloyal for my tastes. I want somepony I can _pour_ my love into like a glass of wine without somepony else drinking from the cup."

Dash cocked her eyebrow at Rarity's...bizarre metaphor.

Finally, Rarity burst out of the dressing room, dressed up like a Wonderbolt with a pair of fake cardboard wings attached. "Now, Rainbow Dash...ready for your...initiation?" She said knowingly.

Dash grinned. "Oh, _yes_." She walked over to Rarity and stood up on her hind legs, putting her front hooves on Rarity's back. "I'm so _very_ ready..."

"GUYS!" Pinkie announced, bursting through the door.

Rainbow and Rarity were understandably frustrated. "Pinkie Pie, what do you want?"

"Chrysalis just made a Pinkie Promise!"

"What?"

Rarity turned her neck around to face Dash. "Oh my! Chrysalis has turned over a new leaf, hasn't she?"

Dash shrugged, then looked to Pinkie. "Do you mind, Pinks? We were in the middle of something!"

"What could you possibly-?" Pinkie then noticed the position of Dash's hooves...and that Rarity was dressed like a Wonderbolt. "Oh...sorry. I'll leave you to it."

Pinkie turned around and bounced out the door. Rarity used her magic to lock the door behind the party pony.

"Hmm..." Dash purred as she started working herself up, her tail wagging. "You have beautiful eyes, Rarity..."

"My eyes, Rainbow Dash?" Rarity questioned. "How interesting...I'd never expect something like that to come out of you."

"Mh-hmm." Dash said, resting her head on Rarity's back. "Know what rhymes with 'you'? Blue. Like your eyes..."

"Hmm, of course they're blue, but you know-OH-HO, right there, Darling, right there!- ahem...you know Pinkie and Shining Armor have blue eyes as well? Suppose you could compliment something morrrreee...unique to mine?"

"..." Dash was quiet, but Rarity didn't notice, melting under Dash's ministrations.

* * *

Pinkie Pie stood outside the train station, waiting for her bride to come back. Thankfully, The Friendship Express pulled up with a hiss of steam, keeping from her wait short.

Twilight Sparkle quickly climbed out, Spike on her back, and upon the sight of Pinkie, teleported in front of her. "Hey, there, my pastry! Did you miss me?"

"I started studying the laws of physics and how and why I break them." Pinkie answered flatly.

"So that's a yes, then. Sorry about making you worry." As a way of apologizing, Twilight bit Pinkie's ear and started gumming on it.

"So, Chrysalis made a Pinkie Promise?" Pinkie asked. "What for?"

"Not hurting our daughter or Shining." Twilight answered, letting go of Pinkie's ear. "That reminds me...I think Shining's still not okay that we're...you know."

Pinkie 'hmm'ed. "So, what do you want to do about that?"

"Well, I was thinking...maybe you could spend a day with him?"

Pinkie stared.

"...Alone?"

"Ooooh!...How will that help?"

"Shining doesn't know you as...you." Twilight explained. "He just knows you as my partner and a party planner. Maybe, if he gets to know _you_, as a pony, he'll come around."

Pinkie nodded. "Hopefully!"

* * *

Shining Armor, still in a ribbrace (and still a mare. Just using 'He' for convenience.) and now with a crutch to boot, dragged himself on the way back home.. He would say that he threw his leg out bravely defeating a dragon that was attacking Canterlot...

But really, he dropped some peanut butter whilst making himself a sandwich, got his hoof stuck in it, and when he had pried himself free, he lost his balance and slammed against the chair leg. Cadence still talking to Celestia, he had to limp all the way to the barracks to get somepony to help take him to the hospital...only for them to ask: If he could limp all the way to the barracks, why not limp to the hospital to begin with?

Muttering at the embarrassment, which still hadn't faded despite the fact he gotten to the hospital and back, he opened the door to his house expecting to see Cadence wondering what the crutch was for...but he was met with a brown stallion wearing a hat with grey sideburns and a grey mare wearing half-moon spectacles and her hair pulled back in a bun waiting for him.

"Uh...hello." Shining greeted. "Uh...who are you, and why are you in my house?"

"You'll see." The stallion said vaguely.

"Okay, see that doesn't really answer my question, and if you don't tell me why you're in my home, I'm going to arrest you on suppositions-of-burglary charges. I can do that. I'm Captain of the Guard, see?"

"We know." The mare said dryly.

Shining grit his teeth. "All riiight...I warned you. Sir and madam, you're under arrest for-"

"Shining Aaaarrrrmoooor!" A excited voice interrupted. Shining turned away from the door to see Pinkie galloping towards him and getting up in his face. "Hey, Shiny!" Pinkie didn't notice Shining wince at the name. "Twilight said you and I should spend time together! You know, meet the in-laws without the family backing them up? See their real faces and all that?"

"What a coincidence." The mystery stallion said. "We were here to do the same."

Pinkie poked her head through the door and let out a gasp.

"Uh, Pinkie Pie? Do you know these two?" Shining asked.

"Know them? Of course I know them! They're my parents! I mean, it's pretty hard not to meet your parents. Unless you're an orphan, which is really sad. So don't be one, mmmmkay?"

"YOUR PARENTS?" Shining exclaimed. "I thought your parents were the Cakes!"

Pinkie flicked her hoof and scoffed. "Pfft, no! The Cakes are my landlords. Honestly, Shining, everypony knows that. How did you not know that? Everypony knows that!" Pinkie raised herself up and made her eyes pop out of her head the way she did at Gilda. "I mean, seriously, Twilight knows, Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake know."

"Who are Pound and Pumpkin Cake?" Shining stammered.

"Rarity knows, Celestia's knows, Applebloom and her friends know, Derpy Hooves knows, Cheerilee knows, Discord knows-"

"Okay, you can't hold that one against me!" Shining snapped. "Discord is an omnipotent being from before Celestia's time! He knows everything!"

"So, anyway," Pinkie said, ignoring Shining's complaints and turning to her parents. "What are you two doing here?"

"We came here to meet Twilight Velvet and Night Light." Pinkie's mother explained. "They ARE your fiance's parents, aren't they?"

"As Mister _Captain_ here is Twilight's brother..." Her father said, ignoring Shining's genderbent status "We thought he'd be able to take us to them."

Shining slapped himself to get his senses back into himself, but doing so caused him to drop the crutch and fall down. "...Yeah, j-just give a me a moment."

"Take your time." Pinkie's father said, seeing quite clearly from Shining's mannerisms this was going to require much, much, much patience...

But raising Pinkie Pie had made his patience unending.

* * *

"So, Clyde." Shining said as they walked towards the manor of his parents in an effort to make small talk. "You're a rock farmer?"

"Mh-hm." Clyde nodded.

"Sounds boring." Shining said. "You must have been very thankful to have had Pinkie around to lighten things up."

Clyde turned his head, smirking- a rare show of emotion for him- "You should be aware that more then half the gems in Canterlot come from dozens of rock farms, mine included."

"Additionally, our secret concrete recipe has proven stronger then the all the buildings in Canterlot."

Shining, attempting vainly to get his hoof out of his mouth, scoffed. "Uhhf! The gems, I get, but the concrete? Better then Canterlot's?"

"Not even Discord's magic or those Changelings got through it." Clyde said proudly.

Shining's jaw dropped. He had to wondered what Pinkie's parents did to their concrete to make it that sturdy. "What magic do you_ use_ on it?"

"Hard work, dedication, years of tradition being perfected on by the next generation..." Clyde answered.

"and beeswax." Sud added.

"Annnnnd beeswax." Clyde admitted.

"We're heeeeereee!" Pinkie sing-songed. They had indeed arrived at the manor of Twilight's and Shining's parent's house. It was very large and purple.

Very purple. Very, very purple.

Like, seriously, imagine the purplest thing in the entire world of Equestria...then make it purpler.

"It's very..." Clyde munched on the hay stalk in his mouth, thinking of what to say. "Purple."

"That's true." Shining admitted. "Here, I'll ring the doorbell."

"Oh, that won't be necessary." Sue told him.

"Well, why not?"

Sue pointed. Shining looked. Pinkie Pie had disappeared.

The door opened to reveal not only Shining's parents, but Pinkie Pie as well.

Shining's eye twitched. "I-it-how'd you get in there?"

"I would like to know that as well." Night Light said, leering at Pinkie. "This...physics-defying mare is marrying my studious daughter? I honestly can't see this working out."

"Oh, Twilight says I'm more important to her then the laws of physics!" Pinkie chipperly informed him.

Night Light seemed flabbergasted. "That's...impossible."

Clyde and Sue chuckled. "Well, if there's one thing Pinkie Pie does, it's the impossible." They introduced themselves. "Clyde and Sue. We're Pinkie Pie's parents."

"I thought that was the Cakes?" Twilight Velvet questioned.

Shining Armor stuck his hoof in Pinkie's mouth before she launch off on another tirade.

"Well, I suppose we're to be getting to know each other?" Night Light questioned.

"Yes, and Shining Armor here is to be spending the day with Pinkie." Clyde informed them. "Go on and goof off, kids."

"Oh no, please stay!" Velvet begged. "There's more then enough room in the manor for them to play somewhere we can't hear them."

Clyde and Sue shifted nervously, but conceded. "If you say so..."

Everypony went inside, Shining Armor and Pinkie Pie climbing up the stairs into a room...up the stairs. A mind numbing concept, isn't it?"

"So, Pinkie..." Shining started the conversation.

"Hang on!" Pinkie said, dashing out of the room in a blur and coming back in the same, with the addition of-

"Twilight's old tea party supplies?" Shining questioned.

"Yup!" Pinkie said, pulling two chairs out. "Now sit."

"Pinkimenia Diane Pie!" Shining snapped. "I had to endure _dozens_ of these in my and Twilight's foalhood! I had to endure it for years_ after_ I had outgrown it! I've led the Elite Guard of Canterlot to _numerous_ victories! I have EARNED the RIGHT to NOT SIT AT A TEA PARTY TABLE."

Pinkie glared. "Sit."

Defeated, Shining signed and obeyed. "Yes ma'am..."

"Now, Shining... I like making ponies smile. I like making them happy. Me marrying Twilight...that's not making you happy, is it?"

"What?" Shining asked in surprise. "No, no! It makes me perfectly happy! My sister, the bookworm mare who never goes outside? Getting_ married_? I can't imagine anything better! I don't have nightmares where Cadence leaves me for other girls!"

Pinkie rocked her head. "You don't?"

"Nope!"

"Then...why did you bring it up?"

Shining dropped to the table in defeat, his full-size body totally covering the foal-sized furniture. "Because I _do_."

"Then why did you tell me you didn't?"

"Because I'm ashamed! I'm ashamed that I couldn't defend Canterlot from Chrysalis! I'm ashamed I wasn't there for my fiance OR my sister when they needed me! I'm ashamed I can't accept my sister marrying the father of her child, even that father is a mare who only became the father through some sort magical MISHAP!" Shining slammed his hooves on the table, breathing heavily.

Pinkie reached over and tapped his shoulder comfortingly. "Feel better?"

"A little..." Shining admitted. "I needed to get that off my chest..."

"You did." Pinkie told him. "You know what you need now?"

Shining looked up at Pinkie. "...What?"

"A SONG!"

"Oh no, Pinkie, I don't feel like a song right now-" But Pinkie had already shoved Shining's hoofs off the table so she could dance on it.

"_Oooooooh, Shining Armor is Twilight's Big Brother!_"

"Pinkie, really, please-"

"_Twilight's marrying me, which gives him quite a bother!_"

"Arrragh!" Shining, no longer able to bear Pinkie's nonsense, stomped out of the room while Pinkie began to wax off about potential cures for Shining's homophobia which included therapy (which he was in the process of) being a mare and inter-coursing his wife while being such (Which Big Macintosh had tricked into at least ONE half of that...) and hypnotizing. (Pinkie seemed insistent that hypnotizing and brainwashing were two different things...)

Shining Armor slowly made his way down the staircase and managed to overhear his and Pinkie's parents talking.

"-about Cadence..." Night Light said. That got Shining's attention. He stealthily made his way to the door of the room they were in and put his ear just close enough to hear the conversation more clearly.

"What, Shining's wife?" Sue replied.

"Yes...but you should be aware that Cadence was Twilight's foalsitter." Velvet explained. "and...Twilight is very fond of her."

"Very." Night Light added.

"Mmm...so?" Sue questioned. "Most foals have memories attached to foalsitters...the good ones, at least. Letting them eat pizza and stay up past their bedtime..."

"Most foalsitters...aren't unicorn pegasi with a special talent in...love." Night Light said gravely.

"Twilight had a crush on Cadence, didn't she?" Clyde questioned.

Shining's eyes widened at this. All this time, he was afraid Cadence would leave him for another mare...but if this was going where he thought it was.

"She may not have known it at the time, but yes." Night Light answered.

"And you're afraid Twilight may still have it...and will reveal this at the worst possible time." Clyde said. Not a question this time; A statement of fact.

"Rest assured, if Twilight does still have a crush on Cadence, she'll be wise enough to keep it hidden;" Shining thought he heard hooves banging together. "She knows what I'm capable of if she hurts my daughter."

"Twilight Sparkle has some of the most potent magic Canterlot has ever seen!" Velvet announced. "What could you do?"

Sue chuckled. "You two should know: Parents have their _own_ magic."

Night and Velvet couldn't suppress a laugh at this. "True, true..."

"I must say, I'm not entirely sure about letting my daughter marry a mare..." Clyde said.

Shining's heart skipped a beat. This was too good to be true. Another pony who didn't like the idea of two mares marrying? _Vunderbar_! Clyde-Pinkie's father- could object at the wedding, allowing Shining Armor to spared Twilight Sparkle's wrath! Snickering to himself evilly, he swept off out of the adjacent room to get back to Pinkie and pretend nothing was going on.

Had he stuck around, he might've heard Clyde say...

"But you know what? She helped saved the world two times and tried to a third one without asking anything in return. She deserves something, so I intend to let it slide."

* * *

Chrysalis stood on the balcony, overlooking her- Celestia's subjects. The Immigration was still a day off, so she could still lord herself over the ponies a little longer.

"Chrysalis?" the Changeling Queen heard behind her. She turned around to see Twilight approaching. She instinctively got into a defensive position. Twilight walked up to the balcony and looked over like Chrysalis didn't exist.

"I thought about what Luna said." Twilight said peacefully, like nothing was ever a problem in her life. "About...about my hate turning my foal into a weapon."

"Hmm...and?" Chrysalis questioned, doing her best to sound disinterested.

"And...I don't want you seeing her." Twilight answered.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Chrysalis...tsked.

"I want you to be her foalsitter." Twilight said.

Had Chrysalis drank anything in the last ten minutes, she would've spat it out in a forceful gush. "M-m-m-m-m-m-me? Your _foalsitter_?"

"Chrysalis, you've seen how close I am to Cadence." Twilight reminded her. "How much I admire her..._You_ could have that bond with my filly. No good parent wants to turn their child into a weapon. You could prevent that, Chrysalis." Twilight got off the balcony and turned to leave. "Think about it."

As she left, a piece of parchment dropped from her and floated to the ground.

"Twilight, you dropped-" Chrysalis lunged forward and picked it up with her hoof. She stopped mid-sentence, the corner of her eye having caught sight of it's contents. She lifted it up to examine it further. It was sketch of...something that looked like a giant heart, with Cadence and some unicorns putting their horns into select holes in the object. There was a another sketch underneath it, showing the same building, but with Changelings putting their horns into the holes instead. On the bottom were the words _Love bank._

A love bank...like a blood bank, but with love...that Twilight had engineered, for her. For her Changelings. A tear formed in her eye.

"I will, Twilight Sparkle..." Chrysalis promised, holding the paper close to her chest. "I'll be your foalsitter, and I'll be the best foalsitter ever! I'll be as good as Cadence! No, _better_ then Cadence! I'll-" In her excitement, she fluttered into the air with her wings, which caused Celestia's heavy crown to fall off her head and hit her smack-dab in the hoof.

"...but before I do that, I'm going to scream in unholy pain."

In a completely different portion of the castle, Twilight was left wondering what that noise that sounded like it came straight of Tarturus was.

* * *

Applejack duly bucked the Apple trees. Immrigriation and all this drama about Twilight almost murderin' somepony be danged. She bucked apples. That was what she did. Big Macintosh acompanied her, but since she wasn't doing this for the harvest, she didn't mind.

"So, Big Macintosh," Applejack asked uneasily. "When are y'all gonna turn Shinin' back into a colt?"

"When he gets over his homophobia." Big Macintosh answered.

"...Ah'm not questing ya, Big Macintosh, but Ah'm questioning ya; Wut if he doesn't? Y'all can't keep him a mare forever."

"Ah bet'cha y'all Ah can."

"But's it's not right, Big Macintosh! He was born a stallion!"

"Twilight was born a filly-fooler." Big Macintosh told her. "So Shining needs to accept that."

"How do y'all know that? That Twilight was a filly-fooler all this time?"

"Coz' it's genetic." Big Macintosh. "Whether she's straight or not is in her genes."

"Big Macintosh, that's-" Applejack was prevented from telling Big Macintosh what that was by the fluttering of wings. Both Apple ponies looked up to see Cadence flying towards them.

"Oh, hey there, Cadence! Wut can we do ya fer?" Applejack greeted.

"Have you seen Twilight?" Cadence asked. "I wanted to spend some quality time with her...you know, without..."

"Shining Armor's homophobia, Chrysalis' near-murder, or the wedding comin' up?"

"...Eeeee..."

"It's okay to admit it, Princess." Big Macintosh assured her.

"Yes." Cadence answered.

"Try the Boutique." Applejack answered. "Ah heard Twi' was getting fitted for a tux."

"Tux?" Cadence questioned.

"Yeah. Ah heard she was going to 'pretend' to be the groom to make it easier on the minister. I hear he's comin' in all the way from Trottingham and he's not used to this sort of thing."

Cadence nodded. "Thank you!" and took off towards the Boutique.

With her wings, she got there quickly enough, but when she got there, she heard groans and grunts and moans...the sounds of ponies making love to each other.

Cadence attempted to knock on the door, wanting to know what was going on. "Um...Rarity? Is Twilight in there with-" screams came out of the door.

"OH, RAINBOW DASH!"

"OH, PINKIE PIE!"

Cadence covered her face in horror. "Twilight needs to know about this!" She turned from the door and started galloping towards the treehouse. Twilight would come back there sooner or later, so it would be best to wait for her there.

"I can't believe it..." Cadence muttered to herself. "Pinkie Pie...cheating on Twilight with Rainbow Dash..."

* * *

Dash floated on the air with her wings, barely able to manifest words. "Rarity...I-I-"

"Don't even _try_, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity snarled as she ripped a cardboard wing. The rest of the costume soon followed. "That's why you like my eyes, isn't it? Because they're blue? Blue like _Pinkie Pie's!?_"

"Rarity..." Dash could only whimper.

"I dress up for you, I love on you, I let you see parts of me- in body AND in spirit- and you repay me...by saying PINKIE'S NAME!?"

"Rarity..."

"You remember when I said I wanted somepony to pour my love into a like fine wine? When I said I wanted the pony- that's you, the glass- to be loyal to me? To not be drank out of by others? Well, I wasn't expecting, _you_, Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty, to _betray_ me like that! Rather then somepony else drinking out of the glass, the glass _broke_ under _it's own weight_!"

"Rarity...Rarity, I'm sorry! Let me make up to you! Let's go again! I promise I'll get it right this time! I'll say _your_ name!" Tears started welling up in Dash's eyes. "I PROMISE!"

"_Out!_"

"What?"

"GET! OUT! OF! MY! BOU-TIQUE!"

"Rar-raritieee..." Dash whimpered ashamedly.

"_OOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUTTT!_"

Rainbow Dash complied, flying out the door on her wings. She heard Rarity slam and lock the doors behind her.

Dash buried her face in her hooves. "What...did I _do_?" she cried.

It was a stupid question. She knew full well what she did; She made love to one mare, but said the name of another at the most critical moment of intercourse.

She looked back towards the Boutique, which now had a 'Closed early' sign planted on the door.

Dash pounded her hoof on the door. "How can I ever make it up to you...darling?" she started banging her head in frustration on the door as no ideas came to her.

* * *

Cadence knocked furiously on the door to the library. Spike answered quickly, getting a few knocks to the face from Cadence's hoof before Cadence realized the door had been opened.

"Cadence, what's the matter?" Spike asked quickly.

"Pinkie's cheating on Twilight!" Cadence answered, still brimming with rage.

"What!?"

"I know it's hard to believe, Spike, but I heard somepony in the Carousel Boutique say her name!"

"Oh, gosh..are...are you sure?" Spike gibbered. "I mean, are you sure it wasn't something like...like 'Inkie Eye' or 'Blinkie Fie' or-"

"I know what I heard, Spike." Cadence snarled.

To Spike's misfortune, he saw Pinkie trotting right up to the library. He tried to signal with his claws for her not to come any closer, but she just gave him an incredulous look.

"What are you looking at, Spike?" Cadence demanded, turning around to look at Pinkie. "Ah! Here's the cheater now! What do you have to say for yourself?"

Pinkie looked confused. "Cheater? What do you mean?"

"I mean, I heard somepony say your name over by Rarity's store!" Cadence flew into the air. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Is it true, Pinkie?" Spike asked, biting his nails. "Did you cheat on Twilight?"

Pinkie alternated her gaze between them uncertainly...before nodding. "Eeyup! And I'd do it again, too!"

"How could you?" Cadence growled, her anger making her horn start losing control. "Twilight Sparkle gives you EVERYTHING and this is how you repay her? With infidelity?"

"Eeeyup!" Pinkie answered.

Cadence's body shook in frustration. Spike averted his eyes, expecting Cadence to lunge at Pinkie and tear her gorily tear her apart.

"What's going on here?"

He wasn't expecting Twilight Sparkle to show up with a concerned look on her face.

"Twilight Sparkle, your fiance is cheating on you!" Cadence informed her.

"What?" Twilight exclaimed.

"It's true!" Pinkie announced. "I've been seeing somepony behind your back!"

Twilight Sparkled didn't seem hurt or angry at all. Instead, she seemed disinterested. Then she said something completely random. "Peanut Butternickel Hopscotch!"

"What?" Cadence, Spike and Pinkie asked.

Twilight smiled confidently. "Just as I expected...

the _real_ Pinkie would know exactly what I was talking about."

Cadence and Spike looked at 'Pinkie'. "Are you a Changeling?" Spike asked.

"I'll bet you she is." Twilight said. "And the Immigration isn't until tomorrow, so I can only assume that you've rebelled against Celestia or Chrysalis, or both...which I can only imagine why you would risk such high penalty if you're caught...so tell me, Changeling, who paid you?"

'Pinkie' backed away, then looked at Twilight dead-on and answered.

"Shining. Armor."

* * *

Shining Armor and Pinkie Pie trotted out of the very purple manor with Pinkie's parents in tow and Shining's waving them off.

"Well, it was very nice meeting you all." Night Light said. "Mark sure you keep Twilight happy, Pinkie."

"Oh, don't worry, Mister Light!" Pinkie assured him. "I love, love, _love_ making Ponies happy!"

"Well, I guess I'll take Pinkie home now." Shining offered.

Sue chuckled. "My, my! Such a gentlecolt. I don't see why you don't go after him, Pinkie."

"He's taken!" Pinkie explained.

"Come on, Pinkie." Shining insisted. "Let's go...before our parents start telling embarrassing stories from our childhoods, please?"

"Oh, yeah, sure! Twilight's told me ALL about how your parents rave on about the embarrassing stories."

Before Shining could guide Pinkie any further away...

"CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD!"

Shining, Pinkie, and both their parents looked up to see Cadence flying through the air at them, Twilight on her back and Spike on Twilight's back. Cadence landed with a forceful thump that made cracks in the ground benefiting a princess.

"I can't believe you!" Twilight snapped, jumping of Cadence's back and backing Shining into the wall of he mansion. "I can't accept that maybe you think you know what's best for me, and that maybe you disagree with my marrying Pinkie...but hiring a Changeling to drive us apart? Really, Captain of the Guard?"

Shining's jaw dropped open in horror. The way Twilight was referring to him by title, rather then by name...it was rattling, to the point he was forgetting something...something important.

"Twily, wait! I never hired a Changeling!"

Twilight eyed him angrily. "Oh, really? I bet you _prepared_ to say that, Captain. If you went through all that effort to hire a Changeling...Well, I've got something else for you...I thought you were better then this, Captain...you were one of the ponies closet to me, my Big Brother Best Friend Forever...I helped you with your wedding...and this is how you act for me?"

Shining Armor looked between his parents, Pinkie's parents, Pinkie herself, Cadence and Spike, as if hoping one of them would come to his defense. Spike, Cadence, and Pinkie looked quite angry, while the parents seemed uncertain how to feel.

"Between this and Celestia taking in Chrysalis...I don't know who I can trust anymore." Twilight told him, anger lapsing into despair for just a minute. "So, you, Captain of the Guard, can explain to Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Cadence, Luna, our parents, and Celestia why they're _all_...DIS-INVITED FROM OUR WEDDING!"

Everypony gasped.

"But...but Twily..." Shining cried, his eyes starting to tear up.

"_Don't_ call me that. EVER! AGAIN!" Twilight snarled.

"Captain Shining Armor, Sir! Ma'am! Ma'am-sir! Whatever!"

Everypony whipped around to see an Earth pony guard galloping towards with a thin beaker filled with a green potion in his hoof.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked.

"We were just finished." Twilight told him.

"Great!" The guard said, apparently not realizing how intense a moment this was. "Captain, we found this in you quarters at the barracks. It has your hoofprints all over it."

Shining took the potion with his magic. He recognized it...it was a very certain, very _illegal_ potion: A narcotic potion.

"Wait!" Shining announced. Everypony gave him a look. "You see this? This is a narcotic! It's proof!"

Twilight and Cadence looked at each other. "I hesitate to ask, Shining...but proof of what?"

"The Changeling trying to split up you and Pinkie!" Shining said, pointing to Twilight. "A narcotic potion in my Captain's quarters! It's wonderful! It's a very good thing! It means I'm being _framed!_"

Everypony started counting the seconds it took for Shining to realize...

"Wait, that's not a good thing at all!"

* * *

**Author's Notes For 'The Cheat'**

**Well, that got real serious real fast.  
**

**Fun Fact: in a earlier draft, it WAS Shining who hired the Changeling...but I wanted Twilight to _forgive_ him at the end of the story, and that seems pretty unforgivable!**

**So, who is it that's framing Shining?  
**

**September 3, 2012: Something's been bugging me now about this chapter. At first, I was content to just let people scratch their heads over how Dash and Rarity were 'doing' each other, but there has since been multiple complaints about, prompting me to add this in for anypony who reads this chapter in the future from now:  
**

**How is Rainbow Dash...doing what she is to Rarity? She's not under the effects of a potion of spell to make her male, so...how? Well...  
**

**Are you sure you want to know the answer to that question?  
**


	9. The Makeup

**Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.**

**By Darkryt Orbinautz:**

**A Chink In The Armor**

**Chapter 9**

**The Make-Up**

* * *

Everypony took a moment to pause.

"Eer," Clyde announced, grabbing Sue by the shoulders, "We'll go back inside with Twilight's parents...because we really don't know _how_ to feel about any of this."

The four parents went back inside the very purple manor, leaving Shining Armor with the vial in his hooves, Twilight still fuming, Cadence, Spike, and Pinkie Pie uncertain what to do now. The guard just stood there, catching that he may have interrupted a tense moment.

"Framed, Captain?" Twilight questioned. "Are you sure?"

"Twilight, you gotta believe me!" Shining exclaimed. "I have never had this kind of narcotic potion!"

"This kind?" Spike repeated, noticing Shining's phrasing.

"I was a teenager!" Shining snapped very quickly. "Can we move on?"

Twilight cocked her head. "Captain, I'm still not sure I believe you...you fainted when I told everypony I was marrying Pinkie...you tried to tell me not to marry her to my face...and Celestia taking in Chrysalis, which I've accepted now, but I still find mindblowing, I can't see you doing drugs outside the realm of possibility."

"Twilight, you've got to believe me!"

"I'm sorry, Captain, but I can't."

Twilight, Cadence, and Spike, all turned around to leave, but Pinkie stayed behind Shining.

"Pinkie, dear, come on!" Twilight requested.

Pinkie parked her rump down. "No."

Twilight, Spike and Cadence seemed surprised at this. "No? What do you mean 'no?"

"I mean, Twilight, that I believe Shining about him being framed!"

"How can you? He told us to our faces not to get married-"

"Which is what makes it so easy for the pony framing him to get you to do exactly what he wants! Remember when nopony believed you about Chrysalis?"

That seemed to smack Twilight hard, for she put her hoof to her mouth and with wetting eyes. "Oh my Celestia, you're right..."

Shining doubled over in pain as Twilight came blazing at her in a tackle-hug and started crying.

"Oh, Shining Armor! I'm so sorry! I should have realized it sooner! You-you had been so opposed before that...that it seemed so plausible..."

Shining, struggling to get through the pain in his/her rib brace, did his best to hug Twilight back. "Hey, that' s what makes the real bad guy here bad."

Twilight looked up at Shining pleadingly. "Shining...call me Twily again."

Shiining smiled comfortingly and stroked his hoof through her hair. "Twily."

"I'm...I'm sorry I didn't believe you...nopony's dis-invited from the wedding..."

"Glad to hear it, sis...say, can you get off my ribs?"

"What?" Twilight looked at Shining's rib brace. "Oh...sure."

"Hey," Spike piped up. "Aren't we forgetting something?"

"Uh, I don't think so..." Twilight answered. "Pinkie? Accusing Shining?"

"Check." Pinkie answered.

"Explanations we didn't believe?"

"Check."

"Apologies given and accepted all around?"

"Check."

"Oh, gee, I think still there's something missing..." Spike added. He snapped his fingers. "I got it! It's the Changeling who caused this mess in the first place!"

* * *

Pinkie Pie, or rather, the Changeling in Pinkie's form, galloped across Ponyville, trying to get to the Everfree Forest, presumably to escape there before somepony realized her crimes.

"Pinkie Pie!" She heard somepony called.

"Oh, crud!" The Changeling mentally swore. She turned around to see Rarity rushing towards her.

"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" The white unicorn exclaimed.

The Changeling shifted her eyes. Taking off would be more suspicous at this point, and might make Rarity realzing something was off, but staying here and hanging out with the pony might give the Royal Guard time to catch her.

"Seeing as you are marrying Twilight Sparkle, I feel the need to inform you..."

"Oh, gee, Rarity, I really don't have the time right now." The Changeling half-fibbed.

"Pinkie, Darling, I understand if you're in a rush, but this is an important issue that must be dealt with it. The longer it goes unheeded, the more of a problem it will be."

"Not my problem!"

"Oh, no, Pinkie it IS. Were you aware that Rainbow Dash and I had started seeing each other recently?"

"No, and I really don't care-"

"We were making love...and Rainbow Dash said your name."

"Oh, is that what Cadence was talking about?" The Changeling questioned. "Well, thank her for making my job easier!"

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Your...job?"

The Changeling's eyes widened. She took off running only to crash into something tall and long, which caused her to fall down on her rump.

"Gee, Pinkie, you really should pay more attention to where you're going." the Changeling looked up to see Scootaloo on her scooter.

"Listen, kid, I don't have time for you _or_ your _stupid_ scooter!" the Changeling snarled, then got up and started running again, leaving Scootaloo with an slack-jawed expression...before it turned into one of anger.

"My scooter is _not_ stupid!" Rage blinding her forethought and fueling her muscles, Scootaloo flew into the air, lifted the scooter and hurled it at 'Pinkie'. The impact brought the Changeling to it's stomach and disrupted it's magical projection, revealing it's true form.

Rarity came rushing up. "Pinkie? What's wrong-" she saw the down Changeling and Scootaloo. "Scootaloo! You're flying!"

"I am?" Scootaloo questioned. She turned around to look at her wings. "I am!" Sadly, the realization that she was flying somehow caused her wings to stop working. "D'oh!"

Rarity cooed. "Ooown! Poor Scootaloo. I'm sure you'll get it one day." she turned to the Changeling. "And as for _you_..."

Cadence came approaching from the sky.

* * *

In the cloudhouse above Ponyville that was Rainbow Dash's hosing, the rainbow pegasus was distraught.

She sat on a cloud-chair in front of a cloud-table that had scraps of paper on it. A photographs of her friends that she had torn up in order to 'talk' to them all separately.

"This is all your fault, Pinkie Pie!" Dash yelled the paper bit that contained Pinkie's image. "You with your-your dumb parties- with your funtastic parties- that- that nopony likes...that everypony loves...AAAGGG WHY IS IT SO HARD TO STAY MAD AT YOU!?"

She slammed her head on the table. "It's because you're beautiful." She held the picture-piece up high with her hoof and kissed it. She quivered in fear a bit.

"No!" She announced, attempting to forcefully hurl the photograph out of her hoof, but as it was paper, it just floated to the ground once out of her grip.

She then picked the part containing Raity and held it unsteadily. "Oh, Rairty, darling...my darling Rarity..."

_Be away with you, Rainbow Dash!_

Rainbow Dash faceplanted on the desk. Great. Just great. Not only was she crushing on Pinkie and breaking up with Rarity, now she was talking to photographs. Twilight had always told her talking to inanimate objects was okay; It was when they started talking back that there was cause for concern.

Shaking those thoughts aside, she gently lowered Rarity's picture down and looked at her remaining friends...she needed to talk to somepony about this. It couldn't be Pinkie. Twilight? No, no, she was getting married to Pinkie soon. Pinkie Pie? No. It would be just as awkard with her as it was Twilight. Applejack? ...No, not her either. She'd tell Twilight and Pinkie the moment Dash turned her back, and Dash wanted some control over who knew and when. That left...

Fluttershy.

* * *

The next day, word of the Changeling that had tried to break Twilight and Pinkie up. Rumors swirled around and about, and the Changelings, now allowed to roam in Equestria freely, did not take kindly to the news that the first act in this new, cooperative period of history. They stood outside the guards barracks, screaming for the Changeling who had done this vile act, presumably so they could give it a piece of their mind.

One of them had even made a picket sign, painted with the words. "CHELLO BOUGHT FUZZ NOW 2 DOVE."

(Presumably, it was supposed to say 'Celly taught us how to love', but an 'A' for effort!)

An entourage of Chrysalis, Celestia and Twilight Sparkle entered the grounds. At Chrysalis' command, the Changelings parted to make and path for them (and, more importantly to Chrysalis, to shut up.)

The three of them entered the barracks and made their way to the holding cells where they found the Changeling behind bars and Shining Armor waiting for them just outside the cell.

"Hey." Shining greeted, giving Twilight. "I softened him up for you, Twily."

Twilight chuckled. "I'm sure you did." She took the key, unlocked the cell door, and guided the Changeling to the barracks' interogation room, and made it sit opposite her.

"All right, Changeling." Twilight snarled. "You were trying to break me and Pinkie up. _Why_?"

The Changeling crossed it's front legs. "I don't have to tell you anything."

Twilight eyed it. "You do too, or I'll-"

"You'll _what_?" The Changeling cut her off. "I know about your little trial. You need to walk on eggshells, _student_."

Twilight gritted her teeth. The Changeling was right. When an attempted murder charge under her belt, trying to force the Changeling to spill anything would likely get her reprimanded.

Twilight left the interrogation room and found Chrysalis and Celestia. "Chrysalis, you're the queen. Make him talk to you."

Chrysalis shook her head. "I'm sorry, Twilight...simple ordering him to explain his motivations will not make it so."

Twilight looked down.

"Twilight! Twilight!" The three of them looked to see Pinkie rushing towards them.

"Pinkie? What is it?" Twilight asked.

"It's the minister! He's here in Canterlot on his way to our wedding and he thinks he can help with the Changeling!"

"Really? How long will it be before he gets here?"

"Not long." A jovial, but old voice replied. The four of them looked to see a dark white earth pony in a white robe and wearing small, round glasses approach. He gave a scrutinizing look at Chrysalis. "So, this Changeling tried to break up the happy couple?"

Celestia quickly rushed to Chrysalis' defense. "No, minister, not this one. The one in the interrogation room right now."

The minister nodded. He entered the room and closed the door behind him. The two mismatched couples put thier ears to the door to listen.

"So, you tried to break up a couple, eh?" They heard the minister question.

"..." went the Changeling.

"Right then, just before their wedding no less. There's a good helping of ponies who would be upset at having made such preparations for an occasion only to have a Changeling make it all for naught."

"..."

"And these ponies...they wouldn't have any problem taking their feelings out on a Changeling like yourself...and with the relationship between Chrysalis and Celestia, I can only imagine that you were probably offered a substantial reward to you for the risk."

"...Yes."

"By whom?"

"..."

"I see." The minster opened the door to the interrogation room, everypony jumping away from the door.

"We weren't eavesdropping, I swear!" Chrysalis insisted.

"Er, yes..." The minister drawled. "Anyways, I confirmed my suspicion that the Changeling had been paid off, but by whom, I still don't know."

Everypony nodded. "Let's start investigating."

* * *

Rainbow knocked delicately on Fluttershy's door, and the shy pony answered. "Oh! Hello, Rainbow Dash. What are you doing here?"

Dash gulped. "I...need to talk to somepony."

Fluttershy gasped. "Oh! Of course! Come right in." Fluttershy moved to let Dash inside. The two pegasi sat down at a table.

"Why don't you tell me your problem over a nice cup of tea and some cookies?" Fluttershy offered.

Dash nodded. "That'd be nice, I guess..."

Fluttershy got out of her seat and set about fiddling with her kitchen instruments. "So, what's bothering you, Rainbow Dash?"

Dash signed. She wasn't used to dealing with what she called 'mushy stuff', but that was exactly what she was dealing with right now. "It's about Pinkie Pie...and Rarity."

Fluttershy looked concerned. "Oh my! What is it?"

"Me...me and Rarity were starting to get together..." Rainbow Dash explained. "and we..." Dash hesitated. Was _Fluttershy _REALLY the pony to talk to about this? "Look, we had sex, okay?"

"Oh my! How unfortunate for you."

Dash made a confused noise. "Uh...unfortunate?"

"Oh yes. Now you're both going to go to Tartarus."

Dash's jaw dropped. She had no idea Fluttershy felt that way- or, was even capable of feeling that way! "Fluttershy? Do you hate filly-foolers too?"

"Oh, not at all! I don't hate anypony!" Fluttershy assured her as the tea kettle began to whistle.

"I think anypony who has sex is damned."

Dash attempted to grind her jaw back into position. "Uh...right. Let's move on. We're having sex, and she said my name...and when I was supposed to say hers, I said..." Dash closed her eyes and hung her head. "Pinkie's."

"Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy exclaimed while she took the cookies out of the oven. She set the cookies and tea down on the table and pulled a chair out.

"What do I _do_, Fluttershy?" Rainbow cried as she started stuffing a cookie into her mouth. "I can't talk to Rarity, and I can't say anything to Pinkie or Twilight about this. And I love Pinkie...but I love Rarity too. What do I do?"

Fluttershy gave her cold look. Anypony else, it would've been fine, but this meek, shy, bunny-hugging Fluttershy she was talking about. "I think you know what you need to do."

Rainbow bit into her cookie and stared. After finishing her bit, she understood what Fluttershy was talking about. She put the remnants of the cookie down. "I know what I have to do...I have to speak up at Twilight and Pinkie's wedding."

Before Fluttershy could say anything. Dash blitzed out of the room.

Fluttershy facehoofed. She ran to her door and shouted as best she could.

"_I meant that you have to make it up to Rarity somehow!_"

Fluttershy signed and shook her head. She whirled around back inside her hut.

"Angel! Take diction. You're going to write a letter..."

Rainbow Dash tore through the sky with her usual gusto, but she couldn't help but notice Rarity walking down Ponyville's grass with something held with her magic. Being Rainbow Dash, rather then leave well enough alone, she followed Rarity and tried to identify her object and where she was going with it.

It was the translucent silk scarf that Rarity had choke Rainbow with.

"Rarity...no." Rainbow Dash cried to herself. As she stalked the marshmallow unicorn, it became quite apparent her intention was to throw the scarf away.

Rarity levitated the scarf up into the air over the trash can and released from her magic's grip, but Rainbow Dash, always the act-first, think-later type, swept down and intercepted it's descent and took with her as she rocketed back towards her home.

Rarity, hairs billowing from the wind Dash had kicked up, could only stare open-mouthed.

* * *

Chrysalis trotted to the halls of the castle, quite perky and elated. The Changeling that tried to break up Pinkie and Twilight had quickly proven to be the, quite possibly, the bestest best bestet ever thing to happen Pony-Changeling relationships. The ponies were mad that a Changeling had tried breaking up such a happy couple, and all the other Changelings did their best to communicate that they completely agreed with the ponies opinion, which Chrysalis couldn't think of any reason why this wouldn't improve the Changeling reputation...unless of course, it caused the ponies to see the Changeling as completely submissive suck-ups who couldn't come up with their own opinion.

Chrysalis scoffed. That would happen, wouldn't it? Something totally positive the general public would twist and turn into something terrible.

Regardless, she wanted to tell dear Celly about this. Where did that handsome red stallion get off to, anyways? They needed him for the show!

"Ceeeelllly!" Chrysalis called in a sing-song voice. "Where are yoooou? Celly? Ceellly! Celestia! Your love slave yearns for her mistress' touch!"

"-all your fault!" Chrysalis heard a voice that sounded suspiciously like Cadence's shout. "See what you get for harboring a Regress?"

Regress? What was a Regress? Who was harboring it?

"I was acting out of sympathy, Cadence!" Celestia snapped back. "I couldn't help it if it turned into something more!"

"We bet thoust could have, sister!" Luna retorted.

Chrysalis frowned. She was the Regress, wasn't she? Looking around, she decided to enter the room she heard their voices coming from. It was a door in the hallway that looked as if was made from stained glass, but there was no cohesive picture formed. Just colors.

Disregarding her beau's privacy, Chrysalis flung the door open. "All right, what's a Regress and am I one?"

Inside the room, she saw Cadence, Luna, and Celestia with their front hooves on a round table like they'd been having an argument. There was seemed to be playset on the table, filled with dolls and props. What's more, is the dolls...kind looked like Twilight and Pinkie. As well the rest of Twilight's friends. Of Cadence, of what Chrysalis could only presume was Twilight as a filly, and even of the Princesses, herself, and Discord.

"Celly?" Chrysalis asked in confusion. "What's this-?"

"OUT!" Celestia bellowed, which scared the Changeling Queen. Celestia had always been patient with her before!

"Celly, what's wrong-!?"

"OUT!" Cadence and Luna joined in the bellowing. "OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT _OUT_!"

A barrage of golden rays, hearts and shooting stars started to fly at her.

"Okay, okay!" Chrysalis exclaimed as she duck and dodged the barrage. "I'm going out, see?" She pulled the door shut, making she was on the opposite end.  
Outside, Chrysalis frowned again. She had to know what was making Celestia so upset, so she put her ear to the door.

"Do you think I should explain?" Celestia asked.

"Everypony knows this is a private room!" Cadence snapped.

"Cadence, how long has Chrysalis been living with us?"

Silence ensued. Then Chrysalis heard the click of horseshoes, so she quickly backed away from the door. Celestia opened it just barely and stuck her head out.  
"I'm...terribly sorry about, Chrysalis. This room is private, for me, Cadence, and Luna only. No exceptions."

Chrysalis pouted and made her mesmerizing eyes as hurt and defenseless as possible. "Couldn't you make just ooonnnee-"

"No exceptions." Celestia told her forcefully.

"All right...but can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, my servant."

"What's a Regress?"

Celestia looked torn. "It's-"

"SISTER!" Luna shouted.

"AUNT CELESTIA!" Cadence followed.

Celestia closed her eyes and hung her head. "I'm sorry, Chrysalis. I cannot tell you that."

"Can you at least tell me if I'm one?"

"No...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Celestia closed the door.

Chrysalis 'hmm'ed. Celestia couldn't tell her what a Regress was. Cadence and Luna seemed intent on hiding from her...and those dolls...what was that about?

She started pacing back and forth in front of the door, trying to come up with a way to address this problem. The Princesses were all locked in a private room that even calm, patient, Celestia had gone ballistic when she came in unannounced, and all three of them seemed defensive...all...three...three...princesses.

"Eureka! I've got it!" Chrysalis exclaimed. She had her solution to the problem! She rushed through the castle until she reached a room...

A very certain room...

"Blueblood!" Chrysalis snapped, tearing through the door (again). "I have some questions!"

Blueblood sat in a beanbag chair like the one in Celestia's video game room, being pampered by two royal maidens. "Oooh! Can't it wait until after my hooficure?"

"I can't ask it _during_ you're hooficure, you spoiled brat?" Chrysalis retorted.

Blueblood tilted his head and groaned. Since Chrysalis had moved in and starting openly trash-talking him to his royal face, Blueblood had finally come to terms with the fact, he was, indeed, a spoiled. A feat which Celestia often congratulated Chrysalis on.

"What's a Regress?"

Blueblood's pupils shrunk in surprise. What happened next Chrysalis wasn't expecting.

"Hoofmaidens...leave me and Chrysalis alone."

The maidens seemed as startled by this as Chrysalis was, but they complied, removing their hooves from Blueblood and trotting out of the room.

Blueblood got up out of his chair and slammed the door behind him. With his magic, he tore all the blinds in all the windows down and rounded on Chrysalis.

"How much do you know!?"

Chrysalis backed away. "Uh...not much. Just that there's something called a Regress and Celestia' couldn't tell me if I was one or not."

Blueblood took in a deep breath and heaved a deep sign. "A Regress is somepony who's role has passed."

"Role?"

"Role. Your role was to turn to Twilight's friends against her at Shining and Cadence's wedding...and since Celestia's been keeping you around, she's in big trouble with the Gray Sisters."

"The Gray Sisters?" Chrysalis repeated in the form of a question.

"No!" Blueblood yelled. He slapped himself. "Bad Blueblood! Bad!" He used his magic to pull the door open. "I've told you too much already...please leave."

Chrysalis did so, casting a worried glance at Blueblood behind her as she left. He kept slapping himself and muttering "Bad Blueblood...bad..."

She caught something else as he closed the door.

"Cadence will really lay it into me for this..."

Cadence was going to 'lay it into him'? Chrysalis could see Luna doing that...but Cadence?

* * *

Rainbow Dash paced around her house, still attempting to resolve her loyalty issues. One of Twilight's closet friends, making a plan to speak up at Twilight's wedding, the most important night of her life.

Actually...Twilight had always said the day they became friends and defeated Nightmare Moon was the most important night of her life.

But that couldn't really comfort Dash right now, could it?

There was a knock on the door. Strange. Who would be knocking on her door that could actually have access to it?

She fluttered over to it and opened to see Rarity with a saddlebag, standing on the cloud.

"Rarity!?"

"Hello, Rainbow Dash." Rarity greeted back with some morose in her voice. "I...I've been doing some thinking and I...I realized...just because you still have some leftover infatuation with Pinkie Pie...doesn't necessarily mean you _don't _love me, does it?"

Rainbow would've liked to have said 'yes'. She would've loved to said 'yes', because from the sound of it, Rarity would've forgiven her if she said 'yes'...but it just didn't make sense. How, exactly, could she love both Pinkie and Rarity?

"I can see you're confused, Rainbow Dash..." Rarity observed. "So I'll...try to explain. You can emotionally love Pinkie and me both, but you must only _act out _on your love for me."

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah...yeah, I think I get it. Hey, how'd you get up here, anyway?"

"Twilight's cloud-walking spell." Rarity explained, then levitated her something out her saddlebag. "Now, Rainbow Dash...I want something from you. Something very specific. I want you to go sit next to your bed and absolutely not open your eyes til I say otherwise.

Rainbow was confused, but accepted Rarity's terms. "Uh...okay." She did so, trotting into her bedroom and sitting on her haunches at the side of her bed and closed her eyes.

"Where is it? Where is it?" She could hear Rarity mutter through her closed eyes. "Ah! Here is it!" This exclamation was followed by something wrapping around her neck and the sound of springs in her bed recoiling from somepony jumping on them. "Okay, Rainbow Dash, you may open your eyes."

Rainbow did so, and she saw the silk scarf was wrapped around her neck. She looked up to see Rarity holding the scarf and laying on her bed.

"We're going to play a _game_, Rainbow Dash." Rarity explained. "I'm going to ask you a few questions. Each time you get a question right, I'll edge myself closer to you, eventually giving you a kiss." She leaned forward to demonstrate and smooched her lips against the air tauntingly close. "Each time you get a question wrong, I'll yank on the scarf, banging your head against the bedrail and edge away." She demonstrated this as well, starting to climb to the bed's opposite edge...eventually falling off. Rainbow laughed.

"Hahahaha!"

"Oh, be quiet and play the game!" Rarity snapped, trying to regain her dignity. She cleared her throat. "A-hem...question one. Who is the most beautiful pony in all of Equestia? Answer by name!"

Rainbow paused. Who was the most beautiful pony in Equestia? Pinkie was pretty, but was she really prettier then all Equestria? She was about to take the (uncharacteristic, for her) 'safe' bet and answer Princess Celestia, but her mouth seemed to be moving even faster then the rest of her.

"Rarity is."

Rarity edged closer. "That's one right. Here's a harder one. Who is the only pony in a humble lineage to not be satisfied with the bumpkin, sporty environment of her -or his- she grew up in?"

Somehow, despite the broad parameters, Rainbow knew the answer.

"Rarity of the Belle family."

Rarity edged closer. "Correct. Only two more to go. Who nearly won the Best Young Fliers competition?"

Rainbow was about to ask "Wasn't that me?" but...almost won. She'd hadn't almost won, she had won. So...

"Rarity, with beautiful conjured wings made from gossamer and morning glory."

Rarity edged closer. So close, Rainbow thought. So close to me... The pegasus could feel the unicorn's breath now.

"Now, the final question...who is, will be, and will only ever be, pending extenuating circumstances, the only pony that Rainbow Dash will ever make love to?"

Dash froze. This was it. The big one. This would be a very permanent answer if she decided to give it. There was no chance in Tartarus she could go after Pinkie if she answered the answer she knew Rarity was looking for. But could she bear to give it? Could she really handle binding herself like that?...

"RARITY! RARITY IS! RARITY IS MY SEXUAL PARTNER, FROM HERE TO HEREAFTER!"

Apparently so!

Rarity put her hoof to her mouth. "Rainbow Dash! I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction from you, of all ponies! Ahem...I believe I owe you something..." Rarity leaned forward gave Rainbow a smooch on the cheek.

Rainbow smiled, a tear of joy in her eye. "W...What made you change your mind? About...me?"

"First, seeing you swoop down to save the scarf like that...that was something only a pony who cared for that scarf would do. Second, your heartfelt letter I received upon returning home."

Dash's eyebrows raised.

"Rarity...I never wrote you a letter."

Rarity's eyes widened. "You didn't? But...it was in your hoofwriting! Down to the exact curve! How could it not have been sent by you?"

Dash shrugged. "I don't know!...Does this mean I have to retake the quiz now?"

Rarity chuckled and stroked her hoof through Dash's hair. "Of course not, darling."

"Rarity?"

"Yes?"

"Choke me."

"Mmm-hm! As you wish, Dashie dear..."

Down below on the ground, Fluttershy swelled with pride at the sound of Rainbow Dash's choking and gasps for air. Beside stood Angel.

Fluttershy gave him a brohoof. "Good work, Angel!"

* * *

Outside the interrogation room, Twilight felt the need to apologize again.

"Shining, I'm so sorry I didn't believe you."

"Hey," Shining assured her. "With the way I've been acting? I wouldn't have believed me either."

"Yeah, Twilight!" Pinkie tried to comfort the bookworm. "What if you were marrying somepony else and that had been me? Would you have believed me?"

"Pinkie, your scenario is invalid." Twilight told her. "I would never marry somepony besides you."

"If! IF! Come on, Twilight! If!"

"There is no if when it comes to you, Pinkie!"

Shining could only shake his head as Twilight and Pinkie got into a lovers spat.

"Ahem!" The controlled, but jovial voice of the minister cleared his throat. The three of them looked to the Earth pony approaching with a struggling, flailing bag on his back.  
"I have, in this sack, the pony responsible for the hiring of the Changeling." The minister explained. "She did this by offering the Changeling powerful drug potions, the likes of which aren't found in Equestria. Her reasons for doing so were that a marriage between two mares is taboo in her culture. I believe you might recognize her, actually..."  
The minister lifted the sack and dumped it's contents onto the floor, revealing...

"ZECORA!?"

The zebra smiled nervously. "Hello to you, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie! How do you do?"

"Uh...you two know this girl?" Shining questioned.

"You...you hired the Changeling to break me and Pinkie up!?" Twilight stuttered.

"Again, you two know this girl?"

Zecora looked away ashamedly. "Yes, it was by me the Changeling was hired, in an effort to snuff your lovers fire."

"I'm starting to think you're ignoring me..." Shining muttered.

"I know lately your heart has been made sore. I understand if you don't want to be friends anymore." Zecora said lowly.

"Okay...you were trying to break me and Pinkie up, that much I get." Twilight said. "But why frame Shining for it? Why plant that potion in his quarters?"

"I'm right here!"

"Not now, Shiny, the mares are talking."

Zecora siged. "I knew of Shining's homosexual dislike. I thought by making it appear he did this deed, our friendship would be all right."

"So, zebra culture doens't allow for same-gender marriages..." Pinkie muttered.

"Zecora, I'll forgive you. You were just acting out on what you were taught." Twilight told the witch doctor. "But not until after the wedding...and you _did _commit a crime..."

Zecora nodded, getting up off her rump and holding front hooves to Shining Armor. "I understand that quite well. Captain, take me to my cell."

With an uncertain expression, Shining did so.

"So, I'll make my way to Ponyville for the wedding." The minister informed them. "I'll see you there, of course."

The minister left the barracks. Twilight and Pinkies stayed behind for awhile before making their own way out.

On their way out of Canterlot, Pinkie stopped abruptly by a gift shop.

"See something you want, Pinkie?"

"No, Twilight...it's this globe."

Twilight approached the gift shop's display window to see there was, in fact, a globe on display.

"It's got me thinking...Zecora...her culture doesn't allow for same-gender marriage, right?...How will any culture...how will the world accept a foal who has two mommies!?"

Twilight wrapped herself around Pinkie. "Hey, it'll be okay. The world _will_accept our foal."

Pinkie signed and removed Twilight from herself. "I hope you're right about that."

Pinkie trotted off and continued on her destination while Twilight lingered behind to look at the globe a little more.

"Of course I'm right. The world will accept our foal..."

The globe was suddenly encased in magic, and it imploded in on it's self.

"Or _I_ will not accept the _world_."

* * *

Nighttime in the Castle. Chrysalis trudged unevenly through the halls, her mind full of questions. What did Blueblood mean by 'role'? How was hers over? Who were the Gray Sisters, and how could Celestia be in trouble with them? She was the Princess, wasn't she?

She was about to enter a patio when she heard voices coming from it.

"Did I do good, mother?"

"You did, my daughter. The moon looks beautiful. I am proud to call you the Heir of Night."

"Thank you, mother."

"You did! The stars are in all the right places, the moon's brightness setting is just right, Not too little, not too much."

Chrysalis couldn't help herself. She cracked the door open to see who was there.

She couldn't believe it. There, on the patio's edge, was Luna...and she was talking...

_to Cadence._

Gasping, she took off and began galloping towards her bedroom where Celestia would be, nearly trampling a poor guard over in the process.

"Hey! I know you're still new here, but trampling guards isn't okay!" He shouted at her, his tone making it clear he wanted to educate, not criticize.

Chrysalis didn't hear him, focused on her destination.

She threw the doors open with enough force to tear them off their hinges.

"Chrysalis!" Celestia scolding, bolting upright from the bed with her nightmask over her eyes. "Those doors are expensive!"

"Celestia, I just heard something awful!" Chrysalis screamed.

Celestia tore her nightmask off. "What? What is it!?"

"Is...is Luna Cadence's mother?"

Celestia signed.

"Well?" Chrysalis demanded. "Is she?"

With a _SNAP_, golden chains of magic clamped on Chrysalis' legs.

"Celestia?" Chrysalis asked fearfully. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, darling..." Celestia apologized, casting the covers off and approaching Chrysalis with her white horn aglow. "You know too much."

"Celly?" Chrysalis repeated.

Celestia touched her horn to Chrysalis' head, wiping her memory.

_Next up on 'A Chink In The Armor'..._

_'The Wedding'  
_

* * *

**Author's Notes for 'The Make-Up'**_  
_

**So, yeah! Wanted to get this chapter out. I have homework to do, which will probably keep me from doing much writing. So yeah!  
**

**Zecora was forgiven easily, wasn't she? I don't feel like addressing that, really.  
**

**Wow! You think, at some point, Chrysalis learn to quit barging into doors.  
**

**Mmm...so anyway, those dolls, Regress (Regresses? I dunno.) the Gray Sisters, and Luna being Cadence's mom are all things that are going to be in Componydium.  
**

**So, I end a chapter on a cliffhanger...before I need to address homework...and I include story elements...in that chapter...that's going to be in a completely different story...that not everypony will want to read...  
**

**Aren't I a horrible person? :)  
**


	10. The Wedding

**Disclaimer: My Little Pony is the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work made by an independent contractor outside of the official company's notice intended for non-profit entertainment and speculative purposes only.**

**By Darkryt Orbinautz:**

**A Chink In The Armor**

**Chapter 10**

**The Wedding**

* * *

Sunbreak approaches by and on the dawn  
Solar lights lighting the smiles of the all the excited foals and fawns,  
The Night Guard out in the day with their wings beating  
Silver bells, clutched by blue hooves ringing,  
Mares, united in ways more then one,  
Must separate with their kisses undone  
Trotting away to their rooms,  
After all, it's bad luck for the bride to see the groom.  
Rainbows, so indecisive and paralyzed,  
Rush forward, moved by diamond eyes,  
Yet these diamonds show treachery,  
When they reveal plans to the one in armor so shiny  
That which was once so feared to be seen,  
Soothes once garbed in green.  
Horns alight in their hues  
Everypony starts singing old folksy tunes  
What's that there in the horizon  
In that veiled bridal netting?  
Is a party? A fiesta?  
No, you foals!  
It's The Wedding!

* * *

Shining Armor and Cadence shook hooves with the newlyweds.

"Congratulations on getting married, Twily." Shining congratulated. "Even if wasn't to a handsome stallion who defeated dragons regular like you dreamed when you were young."

"Now, now, Shining, don't pick on her." Cadence lectured. "Every girl dreams about that when they're little."

Shining chuckled. "True, true...I used to think that I'd get married to a beautiful princess. Oh, would you look at that! I did!"

Now it was Cadence's turn to chuckle. "Come on. Let's give Twilight and Pinkie some alone time." with that, she and Shining turned towards the door and left the library.

"Bye guys!" Twilight waved after them as they left. "And thanks for being so supportive!" She closed the door and was met with a very perturbing sight. Pinkie was staring at her, hurt, and with hers glowing pink, like magic had been cast on them.

"...Pinkie?"

"Twilight...how could you?"

"How could I what?"

"I was your friend, Twilight! Your bestest best friend! But it wasn't enough, was it? You had to cast a spell on me!" The pink glow left Pinkie's in the form of dust, having not an unusual resemblance to tears. "We're getting a divorce!"

"What!? No! No!" Twilight rushed over to Pinkie and shook her by the shoulders. "Pinkie, please! I don't know what's going, but we can work it out! Together! As a couple, with our friends...whatever we need!"

"Get off of me!"

Twilight's eye did it's trademark twitch. "So, that's the way it's going to be..." Twilight sighed. "I'm sorry, Pinkie...you leave me no choice."

Twilight's horn emitted a beam of purple light which bore right into Pinkie's head, causing the pink glow in her eyes to return.

"Now, Pinkie, what do you say?"

Pinkie buried her head in Twilight's chest. "I'm sorry, sweetie...I don't know what came over me."

"I do, and it's nothing that can't be fixed with a liiiittle spell..."

* * *

Twilight shook under the covers of her bed. "Pinkie? Are you okay?" Twilight rolled over to see Pinkie awake with wide eyes and heaving chest, like she been horribly spooked. "Pinkie?"

"What? Oh...yeah. Just had a nightmare. That's all, Twilight."

"You want me to use a spell to make it go away?"

Pinkie kept her gaze locked on Twilight, her horn in particular. "I would.. prefer it if you didn't."

"All right." Twilight rolled back to her side of the bed. "If you change your mind, just let me know, okay?"

"Okay...Twilight, can I ask you a question?"

"Anything, pastry pie."

"If I said, right now, that I didn't want to get married, what would you do?"

"I'd probably ask why."

"Mm-hm...and...if I told I didn't want to get married to you, what would you do then?"

Twilight rolled back over to cast a suspicious look at Pinkie. "Pinkie Pie, where are you going with this?"

"It...It has something to do with my nightmare, Twilight. Just answer the question."

"Okay...I'd probably break down in tears, scream about how much I did for, then hurl you out the window."

"...But not cast a spell on me to make me love you, right?"

"No. Why would you even ask that-...Pinkie, did your nightmare involve me enchanting you?"

Pinkie nodded. "Mh-hm."

Twilight would've wrapped her front legs around Pinkie and whispered sweetly into her ear, but considering that she didn't know exactly what she did in Pinkie's nightmare, it struck her as not the best plan. She pondered an alternative.

"You want to go sleep with the Cakes tonight?"

Pinkie adopted a downtrodden look. "I want to be sure you won't cast a spell on me if I leave you."

Twilight sat up in the dark, trying to think of a solution. Then it hit her, of course! The easiest, most obvious solution was always the last a pony thought of.

"Pinkiemenia Diane Pie, I Pinkie Promise I won't cast a spell on you to make you love me, cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

That seemed to alleviate Pinkie somewhat. "Thank you, Twilight." Pinkie brought Twilight close and kissed her. After that, Pinkie looked away. "You know something, Twilight? I probably should sleep at the Cakes tonight. It's bad luck for the bride to see the groom, remember?"

"That's superstition. Also, neither of us are the groom."

"You're pretending to be the groom for the minister, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

Pinkie shut her up with another kiss. "I'll see you at the altar, Twilight." Pinkie threw her half of the ocvers off herself, jumped out of the bed and left the room, leaving Twilight

Alone.

"Pinkie..." Twilight muttered once she had gone. "I love you."

"What was that?" Spike questioned, adjusting himself in his basket.

Oh. Okay. Maybe Twilight wasn't alone. She still had Spike.

Not that counts for much, of course. Who cares about Spike or what Spike thinks?

* * *

Laying on Dash's cloud bed, Rarity skipped over some magazines, looking for new things for her and Dash to do each other.

"Oh, this is interesting! The Love Bubble! A spell developed by a unicorn named Fizzy in the 1980's to lighten up her stuffy roomate Wind Whistler, this spell is creates an pink bubble that two lovers can move around in! Doesn't that sound exciting, Rainbow Dash?"

"What? Oh yeah, yeah, sure..." Dash responded, laying on the floor and looking out the window at the stars, arranged in rather silly pattern like a half-eaten cookie.

"Dash, are you well, darling-dear?"

"Yeah, I'm fine..."

"Dash...I know you. You're very apathic. But this behaviour is approaching depression. What's wrong?"

"I was thinking...about speaking up at the wedding tomorrow."

"What!?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. 'How could I betray Twilight like that'? I already went through this with myself, Rare. But then you showed up on my doorstep, ready to forgive me..."

Rarity closed her magazine and put it on the dresser. "Then what's wrong?"

"Well, I know what I said earlier...but I was thinking that if I went ahead and spoke up anyway, it would mean you and I were meant to be...but you said I couldn't 'act out' on my love for Pinkie, so...and there was the screaming your name and the making-out and-"

"Yes, Dash, I know about the screaming and the making out. I was the pony you were doing with, remember?" Rarity cradled her cheek with her hoof, thinking about the implications. She had to be careful with her reaction to this. A proper lady dealt with rejection proudly, but was this really rejection she was dealing with?

She lowered her eyelids and put on a smile. "Dash? I agree with you. You should speak up at the wedding tomorrow, and if your objection gets through, you and Pinkie will have a wonderful life together. If it doesn't, you come crawling back to me, understand?"

Dash nodded, flying up to hug the unicorn. "Thanks, Rarity. You're a good friend...when you want to be."

"Watch it, Dash. I only just forgave you. Don't make us have to go through that all again." Rarity hopped off the bed. "I think I'll leave now, but we should make plans to use Twilight's trick with the chocolate cake..."

"Trick? What trick?"

Rarity whispered something into Dash's ear.

"What!? No way? Twilight did that? Our Twilight? Like, spends all day in a book Twilight?"

Rarity had to forgive Dash's surprise.

There was a reason Twilight's trick with the chocolate cake was in the 'too much information' portion of the journal.

* * *

The next day at the castle...

Chrysalis swerved around, looking at her new sparkly green dress in the mirror. Rarity stood beside the pedestal she was on, having been the one to make the dress for Chrysalis in antipaction of Twilight's wedding.

"It's beautiful, Rarity." Chrysalis complimented genuinely, satisfied with the dress.

"Of course it is. It was made by me." Rarity answered, stroking her ego more then Chrysalis' confidence.

"Celly said I couldn't possibly be disappointed with what you made, and I certainly am not. How much do I owe you?"

"Owe? Owe? You think you 'owe' me something for this dress? Nonsense! It's been a bumpy ride to accept your new position in ours and Celestia's lives...for all of us. It is my most sincere hope that this gift will help represent you being accepted! Now, if you'll excuse me, I wish to speak to Twilight's brother..."

"Shining?" Chrysalis asked. "What for?"

"I'd rather that remain between me and him." Rarity answered.

"Hmmm..." Chrysalis' suppression was roused, but she let it slide. After Rarity left, she glanced at herself in the mirror one more time before leaving the dressing room herself and roaming about the castle, waiting for when Celestia and Luna would call her for the wedding. Some guards' eyes widened at the sight of her in her dress, while some Changelings' tongues dropped out of their mouths.

Chrysalis chuckled at their expression. She thought herself as attractive, but having a dress that accented it was nice. Her thoughts were interrupted when she passed a door that looked like it was made of stained glass. There was no picture, just colors. That was weird. What kinda nutjob pony would go through all the trouble of making a stained glass door then not put anything on it? She reached her hoof out to touch the doorknob, but a stinging pain zipped across her head as she did.

"Ooww..." Groaning, Chrysalis began walking away from the door. She found that as more distance was put between her and the door, the pain lessened. Halfway down the hallway, she turned around and started chewing the door.

"I'm on to you, door! I'll report you to Celestia for this! Oh yes, just you wait! You'll pay for whatever magic is your working!"

A guard and a Changeling walking in the adjacent stopped to watch her outburst.

"Eeaa...do all Changelings have issues with doors like that?"

"No..." The Changling answered, having learned how to talk like a normal pony.

"...Do all Changeling _Queens _have issues with doors?"

"No."

"CELLY!" Chrysalis yelled, running down the opposite hallway to look for her misstress. Her green dressed billowed tantailzing behind her.

"Man," the Changeling complained. "It's too bad she's Celestia's loveslave...she's hot."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too depressed...you could get an opportunity with her." The guard said meekly.

The Changeling gave him a funny look. "What?"

The guard shift his eyes, trying to see if there was anypony who could hear him nearby. Spotting nopony, he beckoned the Changeling closer.

"Celestia has a dark secret." The guard. "All the guards go through an intense iniation process...and there's one part that's led to all of us to call 'Molestia' behind closed doors. Shining Armor and a few other lucky ones don't have to do it, but most of us do..."

The Changeling glared at him. "...Molestia? What kindov' dumb name is that?"

"D-dumb? Why's it dumb?"

"Just pronounce it! 'Mole-est-ia' it sounds like you're trying to combine Celestia with a mole!"

"Uh...you might want to stop talking about this now." The guard tried to warn him.

"Stop talking? Stop talking? Why should I stop talking about Celestia's stupid nickname that her guards gave her? And this step of the initiation - I want to know more about that!"

The Changeling suddenly felt large snouts breathing just above and behind both his ears.

"Perhaps," Celestia whispered into his right ear, "You might be interested in trying the process...firsthoof."

The Changeling nervously stepped forward and turned around to both Celestia and Chrysalis giving mischievous, spine-tingling smiles.

"Uh, uh..." The Changeling stuttered. "Queen Chrysalis, didn't you fetch Celestia to address the weird door?"

"I did." Chrysalis answered. "Celly tells me it's just a cursed door that was built a long time ago before she came into power."

The guard seemed to take an interest in the door now. "Hey...Princess, that's the door you and-"

Celestia motioned with her hoof for him to shut up. "Uhp-uhp-uhp!"

"Yes ma'am...I think I hear the chef screaming...Yeah." The guard fibbed to have an excuse to get away.

"Now, back to where we were..." Chrysalis purred at the Changeling, only to find him gone.

"He can't hide forever." Celestia playfully assured Chrysalis, wrapping her leg around the non-pony's neck.

Chrysalis giggled, imagining hers and Celestia's plans for the all-too-curious Changeling.

As Chrysalis walked off, Celestia cast a concerned look over her shoulder at the stained glass door.

* * *

Shining Armor paced around the floor of his apartment, occasionally stopping to look up at Cadence. He never said anything any time he did this. He just quietly looked up at her.

Cadence fiddled her hooves nervously. "So!...The wedding is today."

Shining Armor mulled this over. He seemed intent on focusing on anything other this. "The blue you picked out for our apartment is nice."

"Shining...if you want to distract me, I know you can do better then that."

"You're right." Shining said. "...so, last night I was looking up at the sky."

"Yeah?" Cadence responded."And?"

"And I looked from one constellation to the next, and they all looked like they'd been ...put together wrong somehow."

Cadence flinched. "O-oh yeah?"

"Yeah! And get this; The moon was _pink_!"

"Pink, huh..." Cadence asked, trying to feign disinterest.

"You think Luna's sick or something?"

Cadence shifted her eyes around the room. "...Or something."

Much to Cadence's relief, there was a knock on the door. Shining wearily opened it to find Rarity standing there.

"Rarity?" Shining questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to give you something I managed to get from Spike." Rarity said amiably, holding up some sort of tool for Shining to take.

Shining leered it cautiously. "This isn't going to, like, turn me into a worm or something like Big Macintosh's potion?"

Rarity chuckled. "Hmmmhmm...no, Captain. I assure you this object is completely non-magical. Oh, and ask Twilight Sparkle about the tool there when you next see her."

Cadence looked up at the clock. "We should probably get going before we're late. Rarity, would you like to join us on the train?"

Rarity bowed. "I''d be flattered to."

The three of them left the house together and headed for the train station, being joined by Fancypants and Fleur-de-lise along the way.

"Ah, Shining! Good to see you're still going to the wedding." Fancypants greeted.

Shinining gave a very forced chuckle. "Yeah, well...that's me. Going to my sister's wedding no matter what."

"Good, good...So, you've settled all your issues with Twilight's choice of, or rather, lack of groom?"

Shining's jaw clenched and grated on itself, trying to spit out a lie on instinct. "Y-No...but don't worry! I have a plan!"

Fancypants gave him a leery eye. "This isn't like the plan that resulted in Twilight Sparkle threatening to vaporize you, is it?"

"No! You know why? Because this one will _work_!"

Fancypants adjusted his monocle. "I"m sure you thought that about your last plan."

"Well, it will this time, really! I mean it!"

"Hmmm..." Fancypants didn't look convinced, but he dropped the subject.

They arrived at the train station soon enough, where Pinkie's and Shining's respective parents had beaten them there, but the train wasn't rolling out yet, so they had time to meet up.

Shining pointed at Clyde and whispered to Fancypants. "_That _is my plan."

"Hmmm...I will only say this once, Captain: This reeks of inevitable failure."

Shining scoffed. "You and your big words."

"I mean it." Fancypants whispered.

"What are you two unicorns on about there?" Sue questioned.

"Nothing." They both lied. After they said this, Celestia and Chrysalis came approaching to join them in waiting for the train. Shining found it really hard not to stare at Chrysalis in her dress. He winced, expecting Cadence to notice and say something.

"Chrysalis?" Cadence asked with awe. "Where did you get that dress?"

Chrysalis pointed at Rarity. "She made it for me."

"If you'd like Cadence, I can make a similar one for you." Rarity offered, then looked up at the station's clock. "Not in time for Twilight's wedding, of course, but..."

"I'd appreciate that." Cadence bumped Shining's leg with a knowing smile. "And I'm sure Shining would too."

"What?" Shining shook his head. "Sorry, I was distracted...uh, I'll just say 'yes' to whatever it was."

Everypony chuckled. "Just like a good husband should when he doesn't know what his wife is on about."

The train gave a steam-fueled whistle. The conductor poked his head out the window and shouted. "All's aboard if you're going aboard!"

Everypony climbed in and set themselves in a cabin. Fleur and Chrysalis started gossiping and laughing. Cadence pretended to so as not to come as rude, despite not really understanding what was so funny. Fancypants and Night Light did some very business-like discussions, and Sue, Celestia and Velvet all started going on about different sewing techniques. Shining Armor sat next to Clyde with some unease.

"So..." Shining said slowly. "Anything...noteworthy happen at the rock farm?"

"Inkie made an entire new quarry by herself a few days before Pinkie made her relationship public." Clyde gruffly answered.

Shining nodded, pretending to be interested. "Uh-huh, uh-huh, anything else?"

"Sue got a scuff on her hoof."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

Clyde, usually so gloomy, snickered a little. "Don't let her catch you saying that. She's a tough one, and she'll tear you a new one for pitying her."

"My bad. I didn't know." Shining fiddled 'her' hooves together. "So...you're gonna speak up at the wedding?"

Clyde's eyes widened, then he gave Shining a glare as hard as the rocks he worked with. The haystalk in his mouth looked like a poison dart, waiting to be blown at some unfortunate passerby. "Sonny, what are on Equestria gave you that idea?"

Shining stammered and stuttered. "I-I-I thought I heard you say you weren't sure about letting your daughter marry a mare!"

"I'm not." Clyde answered. "I don't approve of it...but don't you think if it there was something I wanted to say to my daughter about it, I might've talked to her before the big day?"

Shining drooped his head. "... ... ... ... ... Probably."

"I got another thing to tell ya, Shining." Clyde added. "I don't approve of mares marrying mares...but I don't approve of something getting in the way of my daughter's happiness even more so." To make sure 'she' got the message, Clyde snorted into Shining's face. "Is that clear, soldier?"

Shining instinctively saluted. "Sir yes sir!"

"Good." Clyde snarled. He got got up off his seat. "Why don't you go talk to Night Light for a little bit?" He trotted off to find another seat on the train, no doubt to get away from Shining Armor.

Shining started panicking internally, clasping his hooves against the side of 'her' head. Fancypants was right! His plan did reek of failure! Now what was he going to do!?

Cadence saw the weird position her husband was in. "Shining, are you all right?"

"Noo..."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"...No..."

With everypony else away from him, all Shining could hear besides his thought for the rest of the trip was the churn on of the train's wheels.

The train arrived in Ponyville without any incidents involving gryphon's needing to be shoved up pipes this time. Pinkie's parents headed for the Sugercube Corner to find their daughter. Shinng's and Twilight's parents did the same. Everypony else went off to do...stuff. Cadence noticed Shining lagging behind and stayed with him.

Cadence nuzzled Shining's neck. "Oh, Shining...what's been bugging you since the train?"

Shining looked over at Cadence. He really didn't want to admit what it was that was bugging him to her for fear of what she might say.

He shoved Cadence off. "Come on...let's go see Twilight Sparkle."

He and Cadence trotted their way through Ponyville, spotting a shaky mound of mouthwatering appletastic treats that seemed to moving on it's own.

"...W-what is that!?" Cadence exclaimed, pointing at it.

Shining looked at the tower, then narrowed 'her' eyes at the bottom of it. "I think that's Big Macintosh."

"Big Macintosh? I knew he was catering Twilight's wedding, but...but that's-that's-"

"This is Apple family legs at work!" Big Macintosh shouted at her.

Cadence's jaw dropped. Shining grabbed her by the shoulders and urged her more towards the library. They got there, and just as they were about to knock on the door, Spike opened it for them, looking quite snazzy in his own tuxedo.

"Hey guys!" Spike smoothed his headscales and adjusted his necktie. "What do you think of my tux?"

Shining raised 'her' eyebrow. "...Isn't that the same tux you wore to our wedding?"

"...What's your point?"

Cadence put her hoof against her horn. "It's right here!" She and Spike chuckled. Shining remained solemn.

"Where's Twily?" He asked, lazily shoving Spike out of his way into the library.

Spike scratched his head. "What's his...her...his problem?"

Cadence shrugged. "He won't tell me."

"Twily!" Shining called. "Twily, where are you?"

"She's in here!" Night Light answered, pointing to a door. "Me and your mother just finished talking to her."

Shining nodded and entered the door, finding his sister standing in front of a mirror. She was wearing a tuxedo that, bucking tradition, was a glossy, shiny purple rather then black.

"Hey, sis."

"Hello, Shining." Twilight greeted coldly, looking at him more through the mirror.

Shining scraped his hoof around in circles on the floor. "...You look nice."

"So I'm told."

Shining looked around the room, hoping for a topic. "So...you ready for your big day?"

"No."

Shining blinked his eyes. There was no way he heard that right. "I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say no?"

"I did."

"...Now, when you say 'no', you mean..."

Twilight finally broke away from the mirror to look at him, but that didn't matter much as she probably couldn't see throught the water in her eyes.

"I MEAN I'M NOT READY, SHINING!" Twilight caught herself and took in a deep breath, but the tears flowing from her vision didn't falter. "Pinkie Pie...had a nightmare last night where I put a spell on her to make her love me, and I Pinkie Promised that I'd never do that, but I don't know if I actually would or not! If...If she left me...I don't know..."

Shining averted his gaze from his sister. He wasn't prepared for whatever this was. "Uh...you say Pinkie dreamed you putting a spell on her?...Ummm...er..." He threw his hooves into the air. "I thought you did that already!"

"Is that a joke, Shining? THAT ISN"T FUNNY."

"I thought it was..." Shining muttered. He slapped himself._ "Come on, Shining, get it together. Twily needs you right now."_

He grabbed Twilight by the shoulders and pulled her close. "Twilight Sparkle, I know you would never cast a love spell on Pinkie."

Twilight sniffed and looked up at Shining's face. "How do you know that? How can you know that?"

Shining frowned. "All right, Twilight Sparkle, I don't know wheter you would do that..." For emphasis, he shoved her off and turned around.

"...But I do know that my Little Sister Best Friend Forever is a better pony that."

Twilight dropped to her haunches. "...Shining...am I your Little Sister Best Friend Forever?"

Shining turned back around. "I _thought_ you were."

Twilight sniffed and dabbed at her tears with her hoof. "Thank you, Shining...but I still don't feel ready to face Pinkie yet."

"Hmmm..." Shining sat down, something jabbing his flank as he did so. "Ow! What's-" He reached into zero subspace dimension cartoon characters keep their stuff in and pulled out the thing Rarity had given him. "Oh, hey! Rarity gave me this and told me to ask you about it!"

Twilight looked up at the thing. "That's a tool jewelers use to make rings-wait...let me see that..." Twilight got up and took the item from Shining. "This is my tool!"

"Your tool?"

"Yeah. It's the one I used to..." Twilight's speech slowed down. "to make Pinkie's ring." She held the tool close to her heart. "Oh, Pinkie Pie...I was so upset with myself I forgot how much you mattered..." Twilight carefully walked towards the nearest desk and delicately put the tool on it.

"Shining?"

"Yeah?"

"You're blocking the door, and I have a wedding to get to."

Shining smiled and moved of Twilight's way. Twilight galloped out the door and out of the library.

Shining stepped out of the room to his parents confused.

"Shining? What did you say to Twilight to make her cheer up that fast?"

Shining raised his neck proudly. "Well...it was what I_ showed_ to her that really made her cheer up. That reminds me, there's a certain white unicorn I need to give a piece of my mind..."

Shining stomped out of the library.

* * *

The wedding was set up in the outdoors. An...unusual decision, but interesting. A pink carpet led the way to the minister's stand where the bride(s) would be soon...or so everypony hoped.

"Where is she?" Celestia muttered, pacing back and forth. "It's not like Twilight to be late for a event as important as wedding...escpically her own!"

"Ah'm shore she's just running behind, Princess." Applejack assured her.

Fluttershy looked around the rows of chairs set up. "Say, Applejack? Is there somepony missing besides Twilight?"

"Not really."

"Where are Rarity and Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy questioned.

Applejack put a hoof to her chin. "Ah don't know."

"Oh, I hope nothing awful happened to them...that would be just-just awful!"

"Hey guys! What'd I miss?"

"Twilight!" The three exclaimed.

"Thank goodness! The three of us were starting to think y'all weren't gonna make it."

Twilight shifted on her hooves. "Well...I almost didn't, but I'm okay."

"Twilight Sparkle, I'm ashamed of you!" Celestia announced. She scooped her hoof under the rose in Twilight's tuxedo.  
"A plastic rose? Really? All the expenses and you couldn't get a real one?"

"I could've, but I didn't. I figure I pulled me wedding dress out years later, I wouldn't want to the flower having rotted all over it."

Celestia removed her hoof from the flower. "...Oh. That's...that's rather well thought-out, my student. Well done."

"Thank you, Princess." Twilight looked around. "Hey, where are Rarity and Rainbow Dash?"

* * *

"Uh-huh." Rarity nodded, looking quite bored. "Explain this to me just one more time, Rainbow Dash?"

Dash groaned. "Uggh! Fine. I'm gonna stand over there." Dash pointed over by the Boutique's trash can. "Then I'm gonna start running for the wedding. If I time it right-and you know I will- I'll arrive at the wedding just as the minister is asking for objections!"

"I see..." Rarity said boredly, examining her hoof.

Dash ran over to by the trash can, scraped her back hoof and huffed, then took off blazing. Rarity watched her go with an unreadable expression.

"Rarity! I have a question for you!"

Rarity looked over to see Shining Armor running towards.

"Ahh." Rarity thought. "It appears I have been found out...Perfect. Just as planned." Clearing her throat, she gazed in Shining's direction to show he had her attention. "What can I do for you, Captain?"

"That thing you gave me before we got on the train...that was Twilight's!"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, and I can't help but wonder why you would take it from her like that..."

"I didn't take it from her. I told you; I got it from Spike."

Shining facehooved. "I-I-You know what I meant!"

Rarity drably raised hoof to admire it. "I'm not sure I do, Shining...oh, and by the way, did you know Rainbow Dash is going to speak up at the wedding?"

Shining forgot all about questioning Rarity about the tool. "The wedding? Which the wedding? The wedding happening today? That wedding?"

"I do believe so, yes."

Shining raised his hoof into the air to celebrate. Yes! Yes! Maybe it wasn't his plan, but at least somepony was going to keep Twilight from marrying another mare! Yes! Yes!...  
Yes...Shining suddenly unable to keep his hoof up. Somepony that wasn't him was going to keep Twilight from marrying Pinkie...from marrying a baker...

* * *

_Fancypants adjusted his monocle with his hoof. "I see. Tell me, Shining Armor, do you think that Pinkie is...wrong for your sister, somehow?"_

* * *

_Shining's plan seemed to be going perfectly, judging by the look on Twilight's face. But then Pinkie Pie stood and whispered something into Twilight's ear. Shining perked his to hear what it was._

_"When all...is said...and done and dead, can he...love you, the way that I do?"_

* * *

_"Weeel," Big Macintosh drawled. "Ah heard that Shining Armor here had a few...issues with Twilight getting married to another mare..."_

_"Which I still deny." Shining Armor said, crossing his- sorry, her- hooves._

_"So Ah figured he'd accept it better if he went through the day as filly himself, then at the end of the night, he'd tuck in for bed and then..." Big Macintosh gestured over to Cadence suggestively._

* * *

_"Now that's done...we may proceed." Luna said staunchly. "We believe congratulations are in order, Twilight Sparkle. We hope thou have a wonderful foal. Who's the father, if thoust will permit us to ask?"_

_"Pinkie." Twilight answered with a completely straight face._

_"Uuhhhhhh..."_

_"Eeeeee..."_

_"Ehhhhh..."_

_"Eeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyeah!" Pinkie said at last. "Sure! Let's go with that!"_

_"I didn't use my horn on Pinkie in an inappropriate manner for which it was not intended!" Twilight snapped defensively._

_"Twilight?" Cadence asked in concern, pointing at the unicorn. "What happened to your side?"_

_"Hmm?" Twilight whipped her neck around to see her side, still raw from Pinkie's lashings. "Oh, that...well, ya see..."_

_"She's a masochist." Pinkie supplied, then gave Twilight a hard glare, which made Twilight flush. "And an insatiable one at that."_

* * *

_"I would like to know that as well." Night Light said, leering at Pinkie. "This...physics-defying mare is marrying my studious daughter? I honestly can't see this working out."_

_"Oh, Twilight says I'm more important to her then the laws of physics!" Pinkie chipperly informed him._

_Night Light seemed flabbergasted. "That's...impossible."_

_Clyde and Sue chuckled. "Well, if there's one thing Pinkie Pie does, it's the impossible." _

* * *

_"Pinkie, your scenario is invalid." Twilight told her. "I would never marry somepony besides you."_

_"If! IF! Come on, Twilight! If!"_

_"There is no if when it comes to you, Pinkie!"_

* * *

_"You like her ring?" Twilight asked. "I made it myself, because I knew not even Canterlot's gem stores could make one that was just...perfect."_

* * *

_ "I don't approve of mares marrying mares...but I don't approve of something getting in the way of my daughter's happiness even more so." _

_She held the tool close to her heart. "Oh, Pinkie Pie...I was so upset with myself I forgot how much you mattered..." Twilight carefully walked towards the nearest desk and delicately put the tool on it._

* * *

...From marrying the pony she loves.

Shining scrutinized his face at Rarity. "You...you _planned _this, didn't you?"

"So what if I did?"

"You're good."

"One of the best, darling." Rarity grabbed Shining by the shoulders and threw him in the direction Dash had left in. "Now go stop her, soldier!"

Shining stumbled from Rarity tossing him, then braced himself to charge. "YAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Rarity, seeing her plan now set in full motion, felt comfortable to go striding to the wedding.

* * *

Twilight walked down the aisle, all eyes on her as she did so. Most ponies kept silent, but a few muttered compliments about her suit. Up ahead in the sky, Luna had been so kind as to provide her Night Guards to serve as musicans, ringing hoof-held silver bells in the sky. Once Twilight had reached the minister's stand, they stopped. Then Pinkie took her turn and they resumed. As she walked up the steps, Pinkie couldn't being comforted by the smile on Twilight's face. Both mares now standing, the Minister cleared his throat and rasied a hoof for silence. The Guards stopped ringing their bells.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today. To see these two wed in holy matrimony and perform that most holy of unions."

Rarity suddenly appeared next to Applejack. "Where have ya 'been?"

"Preparing."

Some miles ahead, Dash was galloping, but she couldn't have been going at full pace, since Shining caught up with her. Dash was willing to ignore and just focous on her goal, but Shining swerved around and placed himself in front of her.

"Shining Armor?" Dash questioned, screeching to a halt. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Shining replied.

"Uh, preparing for my last shot at having a shot with Pinkie Pie?"

"I see..."

Dash cocked her eyebrow. "Shining. could you get out of my way?" Dash stepped to the side to the little, but Shining stomped his hoof in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash...I can't let you do that."

Dash's narrowed her eyes. "Shining...Get. Out. Of. My. Way."

"No."

"Do you promise to be together, through any kind of weather?" The minister questioned.

"I do." Twilight answered.

"I do." Pinkie echoed.

"I'm warning you, Shining! Move it or else!"

"Or else what?"

Dash suckerpunched him, causing him to stagger. He recovered and reared up his hooves, intending to bring them down on her, but she tuck-and-rolled out of the way. The two of them snorted at each other.

Dash, seeing she wasn't about go through Shining, flared her wings and soared upwards, intending to go over him, but he jumped and chomped his mouth down on the end of her tail.

Dash whinnied and flailed. "Get-Off!"

"No! I have to keep you from ruining Twily's wedding!"

Dash flew in loop-de-loops around the air, trying to shake Shining off.

"Do you, Twilight Sparkle, take Pinkimenia Diane Pie to be your lawfully wedded wife, till death do you part?"

"I do."

"And do you, Pinkimenia Diane Pie..."

Applejack was distracted from hearing the Minister by the sight of Shining hanging from Dash's tail. "What in tarnation?" She bumped Fluttershy's and Rarity's knees. "Girls, look!"

Rarity and Fluttershy did so.

"Oh my!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "What do you think is going on?"

"Ah don't know...Got any ideas, Rare?"

"Not a one." Rarity told them, maintaining a facade as cold as ice.

"Shining, get off me right now or I will run us both through a storm cloud!"

Shining's eyes widened in alarm, but then he tilted his head as much as he was able to Dash's tail.

"I'd like to see you try!"

Dash gave him a dismissive glare, then barreled herself to the right of the sky. By now, everypony at the wedding below aside from the Minister and Twilight and Pinkie themselves had their eyes more on Shining's and Dash's runaway flight-fight then the wedding.

A gray cloud swam into Shining's vision.

_"All right..."_ Shining thought to himself, closing his eyes in concentration. _"You got one shot at this, Shining...make it count."_ Trying his best to do two things at once, Shining tried to point his horn at the cloud. A purple light came streaking out of his horn which passed by Rainbow Dash's face and startled her. The light hit the cloud, causing it to crackle with electricity before shooting off a lightning bolt at the nearest object...which was Dash and Shining.

"If anypony here has any reason why this two should not be wed, speak now or forever-"

KRAACCCKKKOOOOW!

The Minister and the two brides looked up to see Dash's and Shining's electrocuted, burnt-black smoking bodies descend from the sky and crash into the pink carpet on the aisle. Dash was out and landed first, forming a cusion for Shining to land on. Shining was still concious and weakly pushed himself up.

"Is...is the wedding over?"

Twilight and Pinkie cast nervous glances at each other.

"...No."

Shining indignantly threw his hooves into the air. "Well, what are you waiting for? Say..." He started wobbling, his body making gyrating motions. "...'I do'...already." he blacked out and fell unconscious on top of Dash.

Twilight smiled at her brother, happy that he was supporting her now. The Minister reached his hoof over the stand and poked her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, Twilight...was that an objection or...not?"

"Not."

"Okay then." The Minister retracted his hoof. "In that case, I now pronounce you mare and colt-mare and mare- you may kiss the groom, I mean bridge, I mean..." the Minister gave up, burying his head on the stand with his hooves. "Just kiss already."

Twilight and Pinkie did so. Everypony cheered and whooped for them.

* * *

"All right." The surgeon pony announced, coming into Shining Armor's room with a clipboard in hoof. "I have good news and bad news."

"What's the bad news?" Shining replied, laying under the blue covers of the hospital bedding.

"The shock from the lightning bolt means you and Rainbow Dash is going to mean you two both stay in the hospital for awhile."

Shining rolled his eyes. "Great...what's the good news?"

"We can take your rib brace off!"

Cadence smiled at him. "That is good news, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I guess."

The surgeon waved goodbye and left the room.

Cadence wrapped her hooves around Shining's. "I'm really proud of you. What you did today was brave and selfless."

"Well...what can I say?" Shining asked. "When all is said...and done...and dead. I can't love her the way that Pinkie does."

There was a knock on the door.

"Come on in!" Cadence urged. The door opened to reveal...

"Ditzy Doo!" Shining exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"My job." Ditzy answered, holding something that looked like a folded-up scroll in her hoof.

Cadence looked at Ditzy, then at Shining. "Shining, how do you know this mare?"

"She's the bestest mailmare in all of Equestria." Shining answered. "I had to be there for the signing of her certificate saying so this year...and the year before that...and the year before that...and the year before that..."

"I get the idea. " Cadence cut Shining off.

"Here you go!" Ditzy hoofed Shining the scroll. But in Shining's hoof, it didn't feel like a scroll at all, it felt like a vial. Shining tucked at it and pulled the paper, revealing that it was a vial underneath it indeed. He saw writing on the packaging- it was note!

_Y'all did good today._  
_B. Mac._

Shining looked at the note, then the vial. "I-is this...?" Shining quickly removed the cork from the vial and chugged the whole thing. It was incredibly sour, but Shining didn't care. The unicorn's body started spasming and convulsing.

Ditzy got concerned. "Is he okay?"

"Eh, he'll be fine." Cadence assured her.

Once the muscle movement had stopped, Shining looked at his-his hooves.

"THANK CELESTIA! I'M A STALLION AGAIN!" Shining screamed in joy.

"Well, I'll just be on my way. " Ditzy excused herself and opened the door, only to see a quartet of doctor ponies rushing a patient on a stroller.

"Move, move!" One of them dictated.

"Oooown...it hurts." The patient complained.

Shining, despite knowing he really shouldn't move right now, bolted upright to look at the patient. The voice sounded like...

"Twily? Twily, are you okay!?" Shining did his best to shout, but the surgeon ponies wouldn't stop for him to talk.

"I'll go see what's up and come right back. I won't be long." Cadence told him, then galloped out of the room.

Shining just lay there, alone with nothing but his thoughts. A terrible pony to be alone with when he wanted to know something, not think about it. Was his little sister okay? Did she get hurt? Was she mugged? Did she and Pinkie have a really big fight that ended with Twilight gettting hurt? Did she and Pinkie have a fight that caused Twilight to leave the house and get mugged?

Shining looked at the clock. Cadence had been gone for a couple of minutes.

"I'm...sure she's going through some paperwork." Shining reasoned with himself. "It's not like Twilight's did something to her..."

10 minutes now. What was taking her so long? Maybe Twilight did do something to her...what if she had a disease she transfered to Cadence? Or worse... maybe Twilight's old crush on Cadence came back and Twilight's trying to convert Cadence!

Scrambling, Shining picked up the remote used by patients to summon staff. "Hello, staff? My name is Shining Armor. What room? 114, but that's not why I'm calling. My wife left the room some time and said she'd be back, and she's not back yet. I'm starting to worry...you will? Thank you so much!"

Okay! Apparently the staff were going to send Cadence right back to his room. Thank Celestia she was all right. He put his hooves together, waiting for her expectantly.

The door was cautiously brushed open, and Shining could see Cadence poking her head through.

"Cadence!"

"SHHH!" Cadence told him. "Shining, I want you to meet Lucky Swirl."

Shining tilted his head. "Who?"

Cadence entered the rest of the room, showing she had somepony in her hooves. The pony in her hooves was a pink unicorn with a flat, waterfall-like mane that had Twilight's mane colors in it.

Shining gasped, reaching his hooves out..."Is-is this?"

Cadene nodded. "Uh-huh. Our niece."

* * *

_Epilogue_

"Do you have everything?" Twilight asked, Chrysalis standing in front of her on the library foyer.

"Uggh, yes! I'm the hive queen of an entire species! I think I can handle a single unicorn foal!"

Resting his shoulder on the drawer. "Heheh, yeah. That's what I said...before Twilight turned me into a origami crane."

Twilight blushed. "Shining! There's no need for Lucky Swirl's foalsitter to know that!...Also, I could walk by the time I did that."

Chrysalis lowered her horn and pushed Twilight with it. "Go! Go on! Enjoy your special day with Pinkie! Shining, Spike and I have Lucky covered."

"Did you have the diapers?"

"Yes."

"Milk?"

"Yes."

"The educative slips-"

"That your friends all sent you and were approved by you? Yes!"

"Do you-"

"GO! Out! Play! Eat dinner! Do any number of things that _aren't nagging_ me!" Chrysalis picked up Twilight with her princess-sized hooves and hurled her out the door.

Outside, Twilight Sparkle picked herself and dusted herself off. Shining walked out the library door to check on her. "Hey, you in one piece?"

"Yeah, yeah..."

As Shining helped Twilight get steady, he couldn't help but reflect on life. He had been cleared by the hospital, Chrysalis was Lucky's foalsitter for when both Twilight and Pinkie were out, but he, Cadence, and Twilight's friend alternated being Chrissy's assistant. Twilight noticed lately that Rarity had her tail wrapped around Dash rather possessively, but aside from that, everything was good.

Well, almost.

"Shining...I have a request of you." Twilight started.

Shining smiled softly. "Anything, sis."

"Now, Shining...this is a very personal request, and I understand if you don't want to do it."

Shining furrowed his eyebrows. "What is it?"

"While Chrysalis and Spike are here and me and Pinkie are away..."

"Yes?"

"And me and Pinkie are out..."

"Uh-huh?"

Twilight paused. "You may find this slightly upsetting, since I'm not pregnant anymore..."

Shining bit his lip. Was Twilight still mad at Chrysalis? Was she going to ask him to hurt her when the Changeling wasn't looking?

"But I want you..."

"You want me to what, Twilight?"

Twilight averted his gaze off her.

"I want you to get me some kiwis."

* * *

**Author's Note for 'The Wedding'**

**So, just to make it clear: Celestia continues her Molestia activities with the less 'lucky' guard ponies after 'adopting' Chrysalis...and makes Chrysalis a part of it. Chrysalis actually enjoys it. You know, considering _what_ she is...  
**

**Mmmmkay, so, I was gonna start this chapter off with a song, but I couldn't make the song come out the way I wanted...so I just made a poem instead. Yay. Workarounds.  
**

**Can YOU tell what all the lines in the poem are referring to? **

**Except 'Horns alight in their hues  
Everypony starts singing old folksy tunes' and 'Solar lights lighting the smiles of the all the excited foals and fawns,' they don't refer to anything. Their just there to make it longer. They're filler.  
**

**For those who are into this sort of thing though, this was as far as the song got before I scrapped it altogether.**

_Celestia: The day has dawned!_

_Where my student prepares to marry her chosen one!_

_I can't help but think,_

_They make a lovely couple of pink_

_Luna: Night Guards, quit your lying about._

_Take these bells and start flying up and out_

_when the minister finishes his preaching,_

_I want to hear those bells screeching!_

_Twilight: This will be the perfect day!_

_(Or there'll be Tartarus to pay...)_

_Pinkie: What?_

_Twilight: Nothing._

**Now I have something to say about this entire fic in general.**

**This entire fic...this ENTIRE STORY was made, thought of, and written...because I don't like Shining Armor. Let me explain.  
**

**Shining is presented as Twilight's Big Brother Best_ Friend_ Forever.  
**

**The series premier 'The Mare in the Moon/Friendship is Magic' is ALL ABOUT how Twilight doesn't want any friends.  
**

**The extended theme song included in a dvd has the explicit line sung by Twilight Sparkle: 'When I was younger, I was too busy to make _any friends_...'  
**

**Shining Armor's love for Cadence let Chrysalis beat Celestia.  
**

**Shining Armor and Cadence's love beats Chrysalis.  
**

**What does Shining Armor HIMSELF do? Get brainwashed and turn all of Twilight's friends against her, that's what.  
**

**And has anypony noticed every time there's a serious threat, the guards are useless against it, yes? And we are sure this isn't because they have a crummy captain...how, exactly?  
**

**I also like to think, given the way she handled the brainwashed bridesmaids, Cadence could've beaten Chrysalis on her own, were it not for Chrysalis threating to send her to the mines. You know why I like thinking that? It makes Shining look bad, that's why.  
**

**Okay, *Deep breath* rant over...  
**

**I feel that this fic isn't written how I wanted it be written. It was supposed a dramedy- a dramatic comedy. The way to do a dramedy is_ to comedicaly deal with drama_. I feel the story shifts _from_ comedy _to_ drama at random. But nonetheless...it was a learning experience for me, and I appreciate everyone who went out of their way to point all the flaws that they saw so that hopefully, in the future, my stories won't have them.  
**

**Lucky Swirl's name is taken from a blind bag pony redeco of Twilight Sparkle. Fitting, no? Her appearance it supposed to be Pinkie's coat and the flat hair Pinkie has when depressed, but with a horn and Twilight's hair colors, just in case this wasn't clear.  
**

**So, this is the end of 'A Chink In The Armor'...in the meantime, keep it real...and later, I'll see you *poke* in Componydium.  
**


End file.
